


Chameleon

by dont_hate_me01



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Drug Use, Language, M/M, Torture, Violence, bottom!Jared, top!Jensen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 04:42:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 36,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3314387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dont_hate_me01/pseuds/dont_hate_me01
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being one of a kind makes detective Jared Padalecki unique.  With his ability to change into any other persona gives him the edge in undercover work.  But then things go wrong and it's up to the one person who knows him the best to find him.  But just who will Jensen find, especially if Jared himself doesn't know who he is?</p>
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    <a href="http://imgur.com/cYr8mzG">
      <img/>
    </a>
  </p>
</div>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for this year's spn_reversebang challenge over on LJ.
> 
>  
> 
> [ **Lastly, please go and check out all of my artist **phoenix1966** magnificent art here!** ](http://phoenix1966.livejournal.com/5149.html)

**Prologue**

[ ](http://imgur.com/S41ec2z)

**2009 - Washington D.C: Police HQ**

Police Commissioner Jim Beaver looked up from the file in front of him as his personal assistant knocked once before sticking her head through the door. "Your next appointment is here, Sir, although a bit early."

Jim smiled and closed the door. "I wouldn't have expected anything else from the man, Mills. Send him through, please." He stood up, and walked around his desk just as the door opened up again and Ackles filled the door. "Thank you, Mills." Only when his assistant closed the door behind him did he move forward. 

"Jensen," he stepped up and hugged the young man hard. "It's good to see you, son." 

Jensen smiled, a smile that few people got to see as he returned the hug. "You too, Uncle Jim. Or should I call you Commissioner?"

Jim snorted, pulled away and took his place on the leather couch, waiting for his guest to join him before he continued. "Only if you're telling me you're accepting the job, Jensen, and even then maybe never."

Jensen sighed and for the first time since he entered the room he relaxed. "It's tempting; I have to tell you that. But then, why me? You've got thousands of men and women at your disposal and you want me for the job." 

"The short answer - none of them have what you have - the ability to go into a situation, do what needs to be done and get out. All while delivering top results." Jim sighed. "But, it's also more than that." He reached for a folder placed to the side and handed it to Jensen. "That's our official crime statistics that will be released in just over forty-eight hours." He remained silent as Jensen flipped through the contents, paging back and forth a few times. 

"You've got a serious problem on your hands here, Uncle Jim." Jensen closed the file and placed it on the coffee table in front of him.

"I know, and never mind what my officers are doing out there on the streets. It's not helping. Organized crime is at the root of this problem, and the only way in which I can rid the city of this specific problem is to have a team that concentrates only on this and nothing else. I need a team who can go in, find a solution to the problem and finally taking care of the problem." Emotion rose high in Beaver's voice. He sighed. "I've lost three good officers in the last week, Jensen. All due to this and although we've managed to catch the persons responsible and they will be held accountable for their actions, the _real_ problem still exists. The mayor wants a quick fix. I wish for one too, but it's not going to work, it's not going to solve the problem." 

Jensen nodded his head. "I get to pick my own team?"

"Yes. It would be a waste of time if I hand you a team and you can't work together. But knowing you, you've already started putting one together, correct?"

"I might have looked at some options." Jensen grinned. "How far do you want to take this, Uncle Jim, what about accountability?" 

"You will be reporting to me, no one else. Short of committing murder, you and your team will have full immunity. It's like BLACK OPS, Jensen. The only difference is that this time you'll be doing it under my command instead of being a SEAL." Jim Beaver told it straight. He knew Jensen wanted it like that. Sugar coating anything would not work. 

"How long time do I have to put my team together?" 

"I can't give you longer than a month." Jim looked at the folder. "There's nothing we can do about those statistics now, it's already on black and white, but there's much we can do before the next bunch of numbers are released."

"Three weeks, give me three weeks and I'll have a team for you." Jensen rose to his feet. "I need to get going, still need to sort out my housing needs. Thought I had a place, only to be called this morning and told it's off the market. Just my luck."

Jim grinned. "Did I not tell you, it must've slipped my mind." He walked over to his desk and retrieved a set of keys and scribbled something on a piece of paper. "Your new office. I think you'll find it will fit your housing requirements as well."

Jensen took the keys and looked at the piece of paper. "Does it self destruct in five seconds?" 

Jim snorted. "No, you have to eat it." He laughed out hard at his own joke. "I've missed you, boy. It's good to have you back." 

"It's good to be back." He took the keys and exited the office. He had a team to put together, and he knew exactly where to start. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/GEuPtnq)

**Blue Bird Jazz Club**

[ ](http://imgur.com/N4Ky22M)

Jensen stepped into the dimly lit club, his gaze already fixed on the stage and the man playing. It came as no surprise to find the first member of his new team right here. Jeffrey Dean Morgan had two loves in his life; that was, except for women and pricy bourbon. His first love was for jazz, but his second was for spending hours on end playing possum until he found his target and taking it out with a single shot. To Jensen, Jeffrey was the best sniper in the business.

He found a seat at one of the small tables in view of the stage, ordered two of glasses of the stuff JD drank and sat back to enjoy the show. He knew the saxophone player has noticed him the moment he stepped inside. It was just the way he was.

Jensen would've lied if he said he was happy for the show to end. He enjoyed the music, and few people had the gift in playing the sax in the way Jeffrey did. He stood up as the older man joined him at his table. Jensen couldn't help but to grin as the man approached him. He has missed the ever present swagger in Jeff's step. It was good to see him again. "Soul warming as always. Good to see you, JD."

"Lt. Cdr, good to see you, too." Jeffrey couldn't help but to laugh as Jensen rolled his eyes. 

"Still not big on rank, I see." 

"Never will be, Sergeant." Jensen replied with a smile and pushed the glass towards his friend. "You're looking good, JD." 

"Living the good life, here." Jeffrey took a sip of his drink and placed the tumbler down. 

"You're done, that right?" 

Jensen nodded in agreement. "Finished up two days ago." 

"What's your plans?" 

"That's why I'm here. Got a job, if you're interested." 

Jeffrey arched an eyebrow. "You going mercenary on me, Jen?" 

"No, all legit. Interested in hearing me out?" Jensen finished his own drink and indicated to the door. He was not one to talk business in any public place, even if it was a private club. 

"Only if you feed me." Jeff answered, but he also finished his drink and stood up. "Lead the way." 

"Let's go." The two men headed out, leaving Jeff's ride at the club and taking a cab to the new offices. Jensen wanted to check it out and he knew showing JD something like that would make him more interested in the job. 

Both men were impressed as the cab stopped in front of the double story brownstone. It was huge, there was just no other way to describe it. "Let's go in." Jensen used the key to open up after they both eyed the place for a minute or two. He found the light switch and echoed Jeff's whistle as the lights illuminated the lower floor. State of the art equipment lined the walls. Whoever was responsible for setting up the place knew what they were doing.

"What's this place?" JD walked around, taking in the high tech equipment, noting that everything was the best. He walked the floor and returned to where Jensen was still standing. "Well?"

"If you accept, your new workplace." Jensen located the stairs. "Living quarters are apparently upstairs. Want to check it out?" 

Jeff shrugged his shoulders. "Why not? Are we ordering pizza?"

"You really are hungry." Jensen replied as he took the stairs two at a time. To say he was stunned by the second floor would've been putting it mildly. It had a huge open planned living area, decorated smartly, the furniture complementing the rustic walls and wooden floors. To the left a hallway led to several doors, which Jensen assumed were bedrooms and bathrooms; he would check that out later. To the right a large kitchen completed the picture. "I have a feeling this might be stocked up." He walked over to the large refrigerator and opened it up. Jensen had to bark out laughing. It was indeed stocked, not only with food, but with enough beer to keep him a few weeks. "There's no pizza, but enough food to feed a small army." He called over his shoulder and then grinned as a hand came over his head and grabbed a beer. 

"I can see that." Jeffrey twisted the cap and looked around for this trash bin as he took the first step. "Jim set you up nicely."

"How did you know it was him?" Jensen asked as he took a beer for himself. 

"Because he's the only one who would do something like this. And he's always loved you as his own." JD made himself comfortable on one of the couches. "Tell me about the job."

Jensen took a seat and then quickly filled Jeffrey in. "You're in?" He finished off. 

"Who are you planning on getting as the rest of the team?" Jeffrey asked instead of answering the question posed to him. 

"You want to know who you're going to play with first?" Jensen took another swig of his beer and then continued. "Chris on explosives. Steve as the resident computer wizard, with Danneel on communications. Genevieve is the best with languages. I know Misha is back, he's always been a good medic and he loves the action with stuff like this. I want to get Tom Welling in as our main undercover man. You know he's the best there is." 

Jeffrey blanched at the last name. "You don't know." He shook his head. "You wouldn't know. Shit." He dragged his hand through his hair.

"What don't I know? What's going on, JD?" 

Jeffrey sighed and then looked up. "I'm sorry, Jensen. Tom's dead. He died about a month ago - car accident." He left the part out that he and many others were of the opinion that it was anything but an accident. That piece of information he would share later.

Jensen heard Jeffrey's words, but it didn't make sense. There was no way that his best friend and more than casual lover could be dead. The world was spinning even though he was seated and only became aware of his surroundings when Jeffrey pushed his head between his knees and told him to breath. It took a few minutes before he was able to lift his head again. "Why didn't anyone let me know?" 

"You were on a mission and then when you returned I tried getting word to you, only to be told you're not available. I tried everything, but it was as if you've gone off the grid. I didn't even know you were back until you walked into the club tonight." Jeffrey placed his arm around Jensen's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Jensen." When he received no answer, he pulled the young man against his body and let him rest there. He knew about the special bond the two men shared, he knew Jensen would need time to digest all of this. In the mean time he could only lend support.

[ ](http://imgur.com/GEuPtnq)

Jensen looked at the address he held in his hand and then at the building in front of him. It was one of the oldest and largest mansions in the Washington District and in one of those many rooms the last member of his team was waiting. He had contacted Jim two days after he heard about Tom's death. He wanted to give up, but Jim Beaver had a way with words, and had threatened to kick Jensen's ass if he ever talked about giving up again and then proceeded to give him a name and address to a possible new team member. Jim refused to say anything more about the man, just added that Jensen should keep an open mind and have fun watching and tailing him. 

He shifted in his seat as a limousine pulled up to the house and a lanky young man got out of the driver's seat to get packages from the trunk while a butler appeared from inside and helped the single occupant from the car. Jensen looked on as the chauffeur returned and took the limo around the house. He didn't have to wait long before the man returned. He was no longer dressed in a uniform, but was dressed as if he was going jogging, which he indeed proceeded to do. Jensen cocked an eyebrow at the backpack the youth had on his back and on instinct he followed a safe distance behind. He was surprised to see the man peeling of the road about two blocks away from the mansion, where he headed into another privately owned dwelling and reappeared a few minutes later, this time dressed in a classy suit. His hair was combed differently and where he had previously walked a bit hunched, his whole posture now was ramrod straight. He oozed confidence; almost bordering on arrogance. He got into a Porsche and drove off. Jensen followed again. He looked on as the man met up with some businessmen, clearly the Alpha of the pack. He was even more surprised that after an hour he came back, jumped into his sporty ride, drove about twenty miles, got out at an apartment building where he emerged later dressed down, looking like a school teacher, briefcase in hand, got into an old beaten down car and met a young lady for drinks. By this time Jensen was completely entranced. 

"He's like a chameleon. Even after watching him for almost five hours, I have no idea who he really is. Do I even want to know how he does that?" Jensen spoke up the moment Jim answered the phone. He continued, not giving the other man a chance to respond. "He'd be perfect for the team, I want to meet up with him, can you arrange it?" He smiled as Jim promised it would be arranged. He had to laugh when Jim cautioned that he might never get to know the real Jared Padalecki, but later on he couldn't help but to wonder. Did Jared Padalecki know himself who he was? 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

[ ](http://imgur.com/LmbTLcX)

**2014 - Washington D.C.: Private HQ**

Jensen sat with the file on his lap, no longer reading, but thinking of Jared. He couldn't believe that it has been five years. Five years since he first met the unique character of Jared Padalecki and three years since they'd entered into a relationship. He could still recall first meeting Jared and although he had watched him for a day, he was still not prepared for the meeting.

_Jim had set up the meet. Far away from where Jared operated, but close enough to Jensen's new place of work and residence all rolled into one. Jensen found it strange that the meeting would take place in a coffee shop, and he hoped it didn't mean that Jared did not like a beer or two._

_Jensen had just taken his seat at one of the small tables, his wall to the back when Jared walked into the shop. Jensen looked on as Jared scanned the people in the shop and then made his way over to where Jensen was seated. What surprised Jensen was that when Jared sat down, he sat down without a word and kept his hands within the hoodie that covered his head. When Jared finally spoke up, it was soft; Jensen had to lean closer to hear his words. "I've never worked with a team before."_

_"What about now, surely you're working with a team now?" Jensen had to know. It was dangerous for any cop to work without backup, even more for one being undercover._

_Jared shook his head. "I calculate all the possibilities in my head, work things out and make my own risk assessments. I make sure nothing surprises me. I am my own backup."_

_It should've sounded like Jared was egocentric, and full of himself, but there was something in the tone of voice he used that made Jensen realize that Jared was just stating what he believed to be facts and nothing more._

_"What about scenarios you can't predict?"_

_Jared cocked his head and then turned so that he was looking at the people around him. He focused his attention on a woman seated alone three tables away from them. She had placed her take away cup on the table. "She's on a diet and she doesn't want people to know she's cheating. Even though no one here knows her, or even caring what she's doing. She's going to fill her cup with sugar and even place some of the little packets in her pocket for later use." Jensen watched as the woman did just what Jared said she would. He looked on as she stuffed the little sugar packets in her coat pocket and then walked out._

_"How do you know she's on a diet?"_

_"Because of those two." Jared pointed out two women seated, drinking something that looked a lot like spinach from tall glasses. "Both of them talked about their current diet and past diets. She listened intently and when they spoke about the one they are on currently she mentally repeated the name of the plan they're following to herself. Her shoulders sagged visibly when they mentioned another one - one that did not work for them and by her reaction is not working for her."_

_"What about the cheating?"_

_"Because she could've taken the sugar that was right in front of her, but she decided to do it in that corner, where no one could see her; she's feeling guilty. Also, while she was standing in the cue, she kept on stroking her pocket, making sure that whatever she places in there would not be visible to the naked eye. On how I know she's not from here, she was unsure about the layout of the place, making me certain that it's the first time she came to this shop."_

_Do you trust other people?" Jensen inquired. It would never work if Jared didn't trust anyone. If he didn't trust anyone to have his back. To him it would mean that Jared wouldn't have his, or anyone on his team's back._

_"People don't trust me." The answer came back, once again in a mere whisper._

_"Why not?"_

_"Because I'm weird." Jared lifted his head, his hazel eyes meeting Jensen's green eyes for the first time. "I have an eidetic memory and an IQ of 183. People don't know how to act around me. I make them nervous. People don't like being nervous."_

_"I can tell you the exact time without looking." Jensen had no idea why he told Jared that piece of information, it just came out. He had to smile when the man across from him cocked his head._

_"You'regood in maths as well, then ." Jared kept on smiling. "It's cool."_

_"It's weird." Jensen hoped to bring his point across._

_Jared cocked his head again. "Your team will not like me." Once again, he stated it as a fact._

_"If you don't give it a try, you'll never know." Jensen countered the argument. He was not giving up on having this unique man on his team._

_"I'm lactose intolerant."_

_"Then we'll make sure to keep you away from the dairy." Jensen shook his head. "Give it a try, Jared. Please."_

_"No one has ever asked me to give anything a try, or told me please." Jared shrugged his shoulders. "I'm finishing up with this assignment in two days time. Can we meet again and then discuss this?"_

_Jensen shook his head, and immediately placed his hand on Jared's arm when the young man's shoulders dropped. "Sorry, I didn't shake my head to indicate no. I want you to come, there will be no discussions. You are part of the team." He reached for a napkin and a pen and quickly jolted the warehouse's address on it. "See you in two days." He held out the piece of tissue paper and smiled when Jared finally took it from him._

_"See you in two days." Jared repeated his words as he got up and made his way out of the coffee shop just as silent as when he first entered it._

Jensen frowned as his head snapped up and his internal clock screamed. It was late, that he had no problem with, the problem he had was that Jared had missed his last call in. Something that he's never done, not even once in the last five years they've worked together. As he came to his feet, he started yelling for the rest of the team to wake up. Jared was in trouble and his gut started to turn, telling him that whatever trouble it was, it was huge. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

Jared sat back in the deep leather couch that stood against the wall as the music thumbed down below, vibrating off the walls. He brought his hand up and wiped the thin white mark that decorated his nostril away before he grinned. "Good stuff, Boss." He indicated to the man next to him. "You did the right thing in buying this batch. It will definitely be a hit on the streets." 

Penikett smirked. It was good to see his best man enjoying the product. Since young Jared joined him seven months ago the man had worked hard and from being a mere runner he was now his second in command. The man did not hesitate to get his hands dirty, and he was respected by the whole _familia_. And although he used, he never let it interfere with his job. For Jared, his job always came first. Penikett couldn't help but to see a bright future for Jared. He laughed as he saw Jared playing with his fingers as the lights from the dancing area reflected in the darkened area where they were privately seated. Tahmoh tapped Jared on the knee until he finally got Jared's attention. "You with me?" 

"Yes, Sir." Jared immediately sat up straight and also straightened the elegant Charvet tie he had on. 

"Good. I've got a special guest joining us in a few minutes. Go down and make sure he gets shown up right away." Penikett gave the order and looked on as the man who, a few minutes ago was as high as a kite, became the professional he was used to see. 

"Do I know him, Sir?" Jared asked as he got up from the couch to go and meet the guest. 

"No, he was a guest of the state for a few years. Only got back into society about a month ago. First time we get the chance to get together. He's going to like you, Jared." Penikett smirked. Jared would exactly know what he was talking about. 

Jared smiled back, but on the inside, he cringed. This sting was shutting down in a week's time, just after his _boss_ attended the final meet with some other interesting marks they had their eyes on. Adding another player so late to the game normally only spelled trouble, but there was nothing he could do about it now; not until he saw the guest and had a chance to work him out. And if Penikett for one moment thought he was spreading his legs for this guy, he's got another surprise coming his way. "On it, Boss." Jared didn't even bother to ask the name of the person, if he was anything like Penikett he would be easy to spot. All pricks were easy to spot. 

Jared looked at his watch. It was time he checked in at HQ and something inside of him relaxed. Jensen was supposed to be on duty to receive his call. Knowing that he'd be hearing from the one person who made him feel alive, who made sure he'd get through this already overly long assignment made him feel better than any other drug he could use; it gave him the ultimate high.

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

Mark Pellegrino smoothed down his jacket and nodded his head at the beefy bouncer before the door swung open and the club's noise nearly blew him off his feet. He was about twenty minutes early, but he wanted to check out the place before the meet. He hated meeting in places like these, but working himself up in the ranks, building a new empire, meant he had little choice in where he wanted to meet and with whom. 

Before he got sent up state he had little dealings with Tahmoh Penikett, the young man still working himself up the ranks, but from what he could gather Penikett was the man to see to get into the thick of things again. He just hoped that he didn't need to do a second meeting in this place. Mark frowned as someone caught his attention and for a moment time stood still. The walk, the build, the wavy shoulder length hair looked extremely familiar, even though the color was wrong and for one, the man he thought of, wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this. Not that there was anything wrong with him being dead. Dead would be perfect, a slow painful death to be exact. Mark sighed, a man could dream. He was a strong believer in dreams, especially dreams coming true. The man that passed could not be Jay Ross, it was just not possible. But, if he ever did find that conniving son of a bitch that managed to worm himself into his operation only to take him down and turned out to be some or other undercover operator he would gladly take the death penalty if he personally could make sure that Ross took his last breath. 

Mark shook his head. He couldn't get distracted, not now. He had to bring his A-game to this meeting if he wanted a foot in the door. Thinking of the swine Jay, was not a good idea. Mark managed to clear his head and looked around for the man who was supposed to meet him at the door. Finding no one, he started to make his way through the crowd, making sure he kept to the sides, not wanting to be trampled by the masses. He found the VIP section easily and with little difficulty he made his way up the stairs. 

He had to sigh and not roll his eyes at the sight that greeted him when he finally made his way into the restricted section. Penikett was seated on plush leather couch, on either side of him a woman, or should he say a girl, as he doubted that either one could be older than eighteen at the most. For a moment he wondered if Penikett studied medicine, as he was sure the man was busy checking out if the girl's tonsils were giving her problems. Mark shivered, he could never kiss a girl or a woman, it freaked him out. He needed something rougher, a man's hands on his skin, a hard body beneath him, into which he could thrust without worrying if he was breaking the one he was fucking. He cleared his throat and smiled as Penikett finally managed to unsuck himself from the girl. 

"You're early. My man just went down to go and meet you." Penikett flicked his fingers and both girls disappeared without a word. He came to his feet and closed the gap between them, first shaking Mark's hand before pulling him closer and greeting him with a kiss on each cheek. "You look good." 

Mark nodded his head. "I had to do something with all that time on my hands. Making sure that I stayed in shape kept my body busy as well as my mind." 

"You always had a brilliant mind, Mark." Penikett slapped him on the back and guided him over to the couch. "What can I get you to drink?" He indicated to the large selection of alcohol that lined the far wall. 

Mark looked at the bottles and smiled as he saw the one thing he's been craving since his incarceration. "The Dalmore 62, double." He looked on as Penikett took the bottle and poured them both the required shots. "That bottle was distilled in 1942 and only twelve bottles were made. Each bottle was given a unique name, all relevant to the Dalmore Estate." Mark took the bottle that Penikett brought over and his smile got bigger. "This one was named after Alexander Matheson, the owner of the estate. For years I was under the impression that this was bought and drank in 2005. You're a very lucky man to have this." 

Penikett raised his tumbler in salute and then grinned. "It was one of the first things I procured for myself after my first real deal went through. I'm happy to share something so unique with you." He didn't elaborate on how he managed to get his hands on the bottle. 

Mark raised his own glass and nodded his head. "You've done the _familia_ proud. Already I'm on the streets only a week and I hear rumors of you being groomed as the next possible _Don_."

Penikett cocked his head. That piece of information was supposed to be a much closely guarded secret. One, that someone like Mark Pellegrino, should not know about. 

"Don't look so surprised. I still have my eyes and ears around the city." Mark couldn't help but to smirk. It was good to know that the information he obtained indeed seemed to be correct. 

"It seemed like you are still very well informed, I will remember that." Penikett cleared his throat. "Let's get down to business, or what do you say?" He looked around and frowned. It was not like Jared to be gone so long or to be late. He trusted his second in command and relied on his input and judgment on certain issues. 

"Something bothering you?" Mark inquired as he noticed the frown on Penikett's face. 

Tahmoh shook his head. "No need to worry, just looking for my right hand man. He was supposed to go and collect you from the door and should've been back already when he couldn't find you."

Mark snorted. "Never trust the hired help, they will always stab you in the back."

Penikett shook his head again. "He's not like that. He will die for me. In fact, he's taken a bullet for me once before and had been stabbed in the gut twice. On all three occasions the perp did not make it out alive. I trust him with my life." 

"I had someone like that working for me, and looked how that turned out." 

"Let me phone him," Tahmoh ignored the man's final comment as he took out the phone and hit the call button.

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

Jared leaned against the back wall, well out of hearing distance of anyone, while he still had an eye on those who came out of the club. He knew he had to get back into the club, but he really needed to hear Jensen's voice. As he wanted to dial the number, the phone chimed in his hand and he sighed as he saw it was Penikett who was calling him. 

"Boss?" He answered as he pushed himself off the wall and made his way over to the back door. 

_"Where are you? Our guest is here already."_

"Sorry, had some things to take care off. I'm on my way up." Jared ended the call, knowing that Penikett never lingered on the phone. He frowned as he thought about the unknown man upstairs. He had a bad feeling, but there was nothing he could do about it. He slapped Tom, one of Penikett's bodyguards on the back as he started to climb the stairs to the private area. It was not strange to find only one of the bulky guards down stairs. Whenever he was not up with the boss himself, one of the guards always remained close. Jared knew he would find Mike with Penikett and the guest. 

Jared frowned as he opened the door and the volume of the club downstairs dimmed to where he could hear the conversation over the vibration of the music. There was something about the voice that sounded familiar and Jared found himself going through all the files in his head to find out where'd he knew the voice from, but he made one mistake. Instead of standing still and finding the memory from where he knew the voice from he kept on going deeper into the room. It was his own gasp and the roar from the voice he knew sounded familiar that gave him away. 

"YOU! YOU, FUCKING PRICK!" Mark was out of his seat and onto his feet the moment he heard the noise and he looked up. Never in a million years did he thought for one second that finding the man that sent him to prison would stand in front of him. He was not going to let him get away. Pellegrino didn't even care that his drink spilled to the floor or that Penikett tried to stop him. He leaped forward and would've caught Jared if the younger man wasn't quick and turned away heading down the stairs again. 

"What the fuck?" Penikett managed to drag Mark back, but indicated with his head for Mike to go after his second in command. 

"Let me go." Mark struggled against the hold the larger man had over him. 

"No. Not until you tell me what your problem is." 

"My problem? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO THAT IS?" He screamed at the top of his lungs. He couldn't let Ross get away. 

"Yes, that's my second in command, Jared Tristan. He's been with me for the past seven months." 

Mark shook his head. "No, that's Jay Ross. He's the fucking prick who locked me up. And now that I've found him, I'm going to kill him and I'm going to make it last." He ripped free from Penikett's grip and started down the stairs, swearing as he went out, looking for the man he wanted dead. 

Penikett felt the blood drain from his body and found himself on the floor, stunned. He'd seen the pure raged that filled Pellegrino's face when he spoke of the man that sent him to jail. For a moment he couldn't believe that Jared could be the same man, but from Pellegrino's reaction it had to be true. The numbness in him got replaced by anger, the fury burned inside of him and he roared as he staggered to his feet. "TOM!" He yelled as he descended the stairs. He knew Mike would have gone after Jared, but Tom would've stayed put. He met the beefy guard at the bottom of the stairs. "Find Jared, and bring him back here. Don't let Pellegrino kill him, not yet. I want him alive. Go, go, NOW!" He looked on as the man exited the club. For a moment Tahmoh stood there, unsure on what to do, but then he sped into action. Jared knew about every single aspect in his operation and if he managed to escape would take him down with a few strokes on a keyboard. He would not allow that to happen. He reached for his phone and started to make some calls, while at the same time he prayed that Mike and Tom found the one man he trusted with his life. He'd learned a very important lesson. Pellegrino was right, you never can trust the hired help, they would stab you in the back. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

Jared took the stairs three at a time as he bolted from the private room and out of the club. He was aware of Mike on his heels and knew it would not be long, before Tom would be after him as well. He didn't even try to think what would happen to him if Pellegrino caught up with him. His mind still reeled at the fact that Pellegrino was the _guest_. Of all the men he'd managed to catch, Pellegrino was the one he had hoped never to lay eyes on ever again. Jared shook his head as he ran, he didn't have the time to think about Pellegrino, not if he wanted to make it out alive. He reached for his phone, knowing that he had to get hold of Jensen. They had to get him out of this mess and it had to happen fast.

Just as he placed the phone to his ear, the first shot rang out behind him. It clipped the wall right next to his head, the brick splintering, the sharp shards nipping him in his face as he ducked and started to zigzag in an attempt to stay alive. The second shot was even closer and Jared realized that there was no time to bring the cavalry in. He had to get out of this mess on his own. He also realized that he could not be caught with this phone in his possession. It was the one item he possessed that could lead back to Jensen and the rest of the team. With a heavy heart, Jared took the phone and as he passed an industrial dustbin be managed to flip it inside while never losing a stride. He hated leaving the phone behind, it made him feel naked. Jared reached for his own weapon. He had to find a spot to defend himself, but he still turned and fired a shot blindly as a third shot rang out behind him. 

"Fuck," Jared stumbled as his left calf burst into pain and his trousers immediately wet with blood. "Fuck," he cursed again as he ran-limped harder. He had no idea on how serious the wound was and he had no time in slowing down to find out. He noticed the next alley and headed down the narrow opening. He had scouted the area out after the first time Penikett visited the club, but he knew that both Mike and Tom were also aware of this narrow strip that linked two major intersections. Jared could only hope that they didn't decide to close this one up; it was really his only way out. He could see the intersection just before him, the buzz of the street and its people reaching his ears and it made him try and run faster. But, just as he thought he'd made it a dark sedan pulled in and even as he turned to run the way he came from he knew it was too late. He hadn't gone far before the car was right on his heels and he had to nearly run up the wall in an attempt not to be run over before he slammed hard into the gravel that left him breathless and bleeding with at least two Desert Eagles pointed at his head. By the shoes he knew it was Mike and Tom standing over him, and he couldn't help but to wonder who was driving the car.

"Up, Jared." Mike was the one who issued the order, but it was Tom who yanked him upright. Both men had frowns on their faces, but their weapons didn't stray from their mark as they pushed him towards the car. Jared knew it would be futile to resist, the odds were stacked against him and never mind what scenario he tried out in his mind to get away, it always ended up the same; him being dead.

Tom opened the back door and shoved him inside and the blow to his jaw made him reel back at the impact. He got pulled deeper into the car and even before the door shut behind him the blows started to rain down. Jared tried to cover his head, but with his extra long body, the space was limited and the hits he received all met their mark. 

"I will kill you, you fucking bastard." Mark kept on hitting and punching at the man who got shoved into the back. 

"Easy," Tahmoh spoke up from behind the wheel. "We still need to talk to him and then you can kill him." His voice was deprived of all emotion. He used the rearview mirror to look on as Pellegrino kept on slamming his fists into Jared's body. He had managed to find the enraged man outside and got him in the car. He knew this place like the back of his own hand and knew the way Jared would try to escape. He had Mike and Tom herd Jared in towards them and was happy that his plan worked out. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel as he waited for Tom and Mike to enter the car before he sped off. He had the perfect place for Jared to meet his demise. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

Jared's not sure when he lost consciousness, or for how long he was out, but he's immediately aware of his surroundings the moment the bucket of ice water hits him square in the face, the second poured over his chest, making him gasp for air and then coughing hard as he managed to inhale some of the water that streamed down his head and it made him choke. He tried to move, but found that he was strung from a high beam, his hands and feet shackled tightly. Between the water and the pain that made itself known in his leg he managed to look around and knew he was in trouble. Both Mark and Tahmoh were standing in front of him. Of the other men there were no sign. Mark was armed with a bat, and by the blood on it, Jared knew it was the one Tahmoh had used a few days ago. He tried not to show it, but shivered. Mark Pellegrino has always been a cruel sadist, his victims always tortured to death. He knew that Penikett had a temper and that by the way the two men kept on smirking at him, he was in for a rough ride. For a moment Jared contemplated on begging for a quick death, but knew it would not be granted so he remained silent. 

"I trusted you." It was Penikett, who spoke up first. "I vouched for you at every meeting, I made you my second in command." He slowly walked up to Jared until he stood in front of him. "And this is how you repay me, finding out you're a freaking pig. It's still hard to believe." He cocked his head. "This would be a good time to deny it. Save your skin." He kept a good grip on his rage that threatened to spill over. 

Pellegrino snorted from the side. "He was always the quiet one. Never said anything he didn't mean and I don't think he'll do that now either." He sauntered over and used his finger to trace the water drops that decorated Jared's skin. "Hello, boy. Missed me?" He stepped back and then backhanded Jared through the face. "I'm so going to hurt you and then I'm going to kill you and I will not stop until I'm sure you're dead." He tapped the baseball bat against his thigh, gave another step back and swung the bat with precision, catching Jared across the ribs, making Jared scream while at the same time leaving his body bloody and bruised. He swung the bat a few more times all over Jared's body, not concentrating on one specific spot before he flung the bat to the side and shook his head. "No, no. It's too slow. I thought I wanted to drag it out, make you suffer, but you know what, I don't have the patience. I just want to see you dead." He smiled as he noticed that Jared was rendered unconscious. "Always knew you were a pussy. Can't even take a few taps with a bat." Mark looked over his shoulder to where Penikett was standing. "Any objection?" 

Penikett shook his head. "No objection." He snarled as he watched Jared's bleeding body hanging limp from the high beam. "Lead pill?" 

"Right at the back of his head." Pellegrino smiled as he reached for the knife he always carried with him and cut Jared lose. He didn't even soften the landing, just stood to the side so that Jared fell to the floor. "Where?" He looked around the empty building. "Here?" 

Penikett shook his head. "Warehouse can be traced to me. I know the perfect spot. We can do a bit of fishing as well." 

"On the Potomac River bank, I presume? Sounds perfect to me." Mark bent over and took one of Jared's legs. "Let's get him into the car, I'm starving." 

Penikett took Jared's other leg and both men dragged Jared over the empty warehouse floor and back to the sedan they arrived in. They managed to load Jared into the trunk and then climbed into the car.

"What happened to your muscle?" Mark frowned as he realized that both Tom and Mike were no longer there. 

"Some business is better to take care of privately." Penikett shook his head, a clear indication that he was unwilling to say more. What he did realize was that Jared's betrayal has hit him hard. Harder than what he thought ever be possible. He would be thinking very hard about whom to trust in the future. 

Mark couldn't help but to grin. It seems like Tahmoh might be very smart indeed. "Let's go. It's getting light." He looked at the east, where the night was giving way to a new day. 

The drive was not long, the spot picked by Penikett, perfect. Mark got out of the car and stretched for a few moments, before he walked around the car and popped the trunk. He grinned as he looked into Jared's dazed eyes, the pistol placed directly between his eyes. "So happy to know you're not dead. Would've been a pity if you decided to die on me before I could really make sure you're dead." He reached in and dragged the young man from the trunk. It didn't even bother him that Jared fell to the ground the moment he was out of the trunk. Instead, he got hold of Jared's hair and pulled on it hard, forcing Jared to his feet. "Let's go. I've got things to do." 

Jared slowly regained consciousness and for a moment he wanted to panic when he found himself in a small dark space. The vibrations underneath him and the fumes he inhaled made him realized that he was in a trunk of a car. He tried to move when he realized he was not tied up, but the cry that escaped from his lips, together with the lightning bolt of pain that shot through his body made him realize that moving was not such a good idea, but he still he had to get out of here. He knew that although he was still breathing, this would not be the norm for long. He tried to concentrate on where they were driving, but gave up quickly as he had no idea of where they were from or where they were going. Jared tried to think of a way to get himself out of this mess. It was his job to be able to get himself out of any situation and he couldn't let the fact that he was trapped inside of a trunk stop him. 

Jared tried to concentrate, tried to think about what he could do. He managed to feel around for any possible weapon, but found none. He knew he had little time to spare, the moment the car came to a halt his time would be up. With great difficulty and plenty of pain he managed to turn himself onto his back. He would use his legs to kick and whoever opened the trunk, hopefully it would give him enough time to get out and fight his way out. 

He yelled out in pain as the car skidded to a halt, his body slamming into the side even as he lay on his back. He wanted to heave, waves of nausea washed over him. He was certain his ribs were fractured and knew that the possibility was great that one of them might puncture his lungs, but he couldn't think of that, not when he heard the door open and footsteps nearing the back. Swallowing the whimpers that threatened to escape, Jared readied himself. He was still dazed when the trunk finally popped open, but even before he could react, the pistol was against his skin and Pellegrino smirked at him. At that moment in time Jared knew his time has run out. 

Penikett walked around the car and looked on as Pellegrino dragged Jared by the hair out of the trunk. He smiled at the scene, Jared half crawling behind the older man as he took up the rear and watched as Penikett made his way over to the river bank. It was a beautiful spot, made even more amazing as the sun just touched the horizon, turning the troubled waters from dark to several hues of red.

"Right here," Mark pushed Jared forward and then grabbed at his hair to bring him to his knees and then pressed the barrel against the back of Jared's head. "I will always remember this day. It's one I will share with my grandchildren." Mark sneered and then pulled the trigger. He cursed as a bird took to flight right next to him, making him jerk, but as Jared tumbled forward and landed in the water and it turned red he was more than satisfied that the job was done. "Fucking bird." He turned and fired a shot at the bird in flight, but kept on walking as the bird tumbled out of the sky and splashed into the river. 

"Done?" Tahmoh asked as he looked on. 

"Done. Let's go. You can drop me off at my hotel." Mark reached out and grabbed Penikett's hand. "You owe me one." He sneered as Tahmoh frowned. "If it wasn't for me, you'd be in jail within the next month, so I'd say you owe me big." He roared with laughter, shook his head and got into the passenger side. He yawned hard; he could do with some sleep. 

Tahmoh stared out at the water and looked on as Jared's body bobbed a few times and then disappeared out of sight. He dragged his hand over his face and then squared his shoulders. Jared was no longer an issue, it was in the past. He had more important things to worry about. One of them, being Mark Pellegrino. He would not allow Mark to come between him and his next goal. He _will_ be the next Don and no one, especially not Mark Pellegrino would stand in his way. It was another one loose end that he would have to tie up, even if it meant buddying up to the man for a month or two. Mark has taught him a very important lesson - don't trust anyone. Especially not the man who just killed another right in front of you. He would not be fooled twice. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

[ ](http://imgur.com/PwK5eIJ)

**5 Months Later: Private HQ**

"What do I need to know?" Misha asked as Christian and Jeff lowered Jensen to his bed. He couldn't help but to cringe as he looked at the various bruises and abrasions that decorated Jensen's face. The fact that his left arm was in a sling made Misha aware of just how badly Jensen injured himself - again. 

"Slight concussion, so the doc said we need to check on that. Bruised ribs on both sides, as well as a nasty bruise to the kidneys, and yes, he's pissing some blood, but the doc said it should clear up in a day or two and if it doesn't or if it gets worse to bring him in immediately." Christian indicated to the sling. "Manually reduced shoulder cuff, will need to keep the arm still and get physical therapy. The rest is just what you see, scuffs and stuff like that." 

"I'm fine," Jensen slurred and tried to push himself up from the bed. He had gotten into yet another fight in a bar, this time a cop bar and he had said one thing too many before the boys in blue decided they had enough. Luckily a captain walked in and recognized Jensen as someone important to the Commissioner and put an end to the fight. Unfortunately for Jensen it already got way out of hand and he only regained consciousness at the hospital with Christian and Jeffrey at his side. He thought he heard Jim's voice yelling in the background, but he was not entirely sure about that. 

Christian wanted to reply, but Jeff beat him to it. "No. No, you are not _fine_ , as you so eloquently put it. You're anything but fine. You're a fucking mess. One whose ass is so near to being fired that it's not even remotely funny. I don't think you heard what Jim said to you earlier, Jensen, so let me repeat it to you. You are on suspension. In fact, he took it a bit further. He said the only reason why he's only placing you on suspension and not throwing you into the nearest jail is because he respects you too much. He is of the opinion, and I'm fully agreeing with him on this point, is that you have taken this too far. You are out of control; and dangerously so. He has released you under my and Christian's care and let me tell you, boy, if you as much as breathe out of sequence with the rest of us, I will personally drag your ass to jail, are we clear on that Lt. Cdr Ackles?" 

Neither Christian nor Misha has seen Jeffrey as close to losing his control over his temper as then. They both looked on at the staring match that took place between the other two men. Misha couldn't help but to sigh in relief when Jensen was the first to look away and nod his head. 

"Crystal." Jensen lowered himself again and then closed his eyes. He was bone tired and would be a fool not to admit that he was in acute pain. 

"You're hurting." It was Misha's voice next to him that made Jensen open his eyes again. 

"Some." He closed his eyes tiredly again. 

Christian snorted and handed Misha a bag filled with prescription medication. "He refused any pain medication at the hospital when he finally woke up. The doc was kind enough to prescribe some of the good stuff." 

"How long was he out for?" It concerned Misha to hear that Jensen was unconscious and by the sound of things it seemed to have been some time. 

"He was in and out of it for about ten minutes." Christian answered again and hissed in sympathy as Jensen tried to roll himself over and nearly rolled over on his busted shoulder. "Easy," he helped Jensen to get comfortable and then stepped back. 

"Fuck," Jensen growled as he took some deep breaths to get his pain under control. 

Misha could only shake his head as he opened the bag and sorted through the various bottles. He placed some of the bottles back in the bag and then unscrewed two others. He reached over and grabbed hold of a bottle of sealed water he had with him when Jensen got helped into the room. "This will help. And no, it will not make you drowsy, those I will give to you when we've got more clarity on your concussion." He reached over and help Jensen to sit up a bit straighter before popping the pills in his friend's mouth and watched on as Jensen swallowed them with water. 

"Thank you." Jensen leaned back. He didn't want to talk to anyone, not now, maybe never, unless it's Jared. Thinking of Jared made him want to get up and just destroy everything around him. He was so fucking tired, but he would not give up. Not until he found Jared. He sighed as the bed dipped next to him. He didn't need to look to know who it was. Christian has been his best friend for as long as he could remember. "I'm okay." 

Christian huffed, but didn't say a word. Instead, he managed to pull Jensen closer to him and made sure Jensen's busted shoulder had the necessary support before he placed his arm over Jensen's waist and held him close. "You're not alone, Jen." He whispered the words and sighed as Jensen slowly relaxed against him. "Get some sleep, I'll wake you in a couple of hours with the routine questions." Christian met Misha's gaze and nodded once making sure Misha knew he had this. 

Misha looked at the two men on the bed. Jensen was at the end of his rope and Jeff was right, it had to stop now and even though he knew Jensen would hate them for it, it was time for tough love. As Jensen's breathing evened out he started picking up the various empty bottles of JD and carried them out. Chris would take care of Jensen and he would check in on them in a couple of hours. In the mean time, he was going to rid this place of all alcohol. It was time for Jensen Ackles to get his act together.

[ ](http://imgur.com/GEuPtnq)

Danni looked up from her screen as Misha moved past her and opened one of the drawers of the various cabinets that stood around the working area. She cocked an eyebrow as he fished out a full bottle of alcohol and placed it next to the other five bottles he already gathered. "Little bit early to start a party?" 

Misha rolled his eyes. "The only party there'll be is when I chuck this all down the drain." 

"Is it all Jensen's?" This time she turned serious. 

"Every last bottle." Misha sighed and took the chair next to her. "We have let things go too far. He won’t survive if we don't do something quick." 

Danni nodded in agreement. "We've been bad friends, haven't we?" She looked over at Genevieve that entered the room. "We've not been helping, by letting him drink himself into oblivion." 

"Then let's change it." Genevieve sat down at her workstation and started typing away. As their language expert she had many CIs, although she normally only hears their voices and don't meet them directly. "I may have something." She held up her hand when both Danneel and Misha wanted to interrupt her. "I only heard about this late last night, and could only follow up on it this morning and this is what I found out." She brought up a picture of a middle aged man dressed in a cheap suit. 

"Who's that?" Steve piped up as he entered the room. 

"Hopefully our new lead to Jared." Genevieve answered and then nodded her head. "Yes, I do think we've got a plausible lead that Jared may indeed be still alive." 

The other members of the team all gathered around the large flat screen monitor and listened as Genevieve started to explain. 

"This is Arnold Parsons. He's a manager over at Emerson's Shipping. He's also a person of interest in an ongoing FBI investigation." She hit the key on the keyboard and another face popped up. "This was one of his crane operators that was found dead about a month ago. Mike Franks was a CI for the local police until his time ran out. Word on the street is that Parsons took care of this problem personally. Strangely enough, before Franks' death, no one even looked at Parsons." 

"What does this have to do with Jared?" Steve asked, he had no patience, except when it came to doing his IT work. 

Genevieve rolled her eyes. "About two days after the murder, a new crane operator was appointed. According to my info a lot of the guys, especially the union guys, made a lot of noise about it, but he soon showed what he was capable of." 

"I still don't understand." Steve spoke up again. 

Genevieve wanted to growl. "A week and a half ago, there was a huge accident at the crane company when a container slipped free and trapped some workers. One was badly injured." 

"I remembered, it was on the news." Misha spoke up. 

"Remember, they spoke about the man who managed to get the trapped guys out and also saved the injured man. Later the doctors said that whoever rescued the man had to be a doctor, but the guy who rescued him said it was just the crane operator." Genevieve saw the moment the rest of the team put two and two together. 

"I got a description of the guy. It's vague and I'm waiting to hear back from my guy on a photo I send of Jared, but I do think it's him. The man is described as freakishly tall, a funny hazel eye color and shaggy hair. He goes by the name of John Smith." 

Danni snorted at the name. "That's a bit too obvious." 

"I agree." Genevieve looked at Steve. "I need your help in having a look at the Emerson's Shipping's payroll." 

"You're not going to find him on there." Steve said as he slid into his chair to begin the chair. 

"That's what I hope for." Genevieve nodded her head. 

"Then why look for him on the roll?" Misha inquired as he found another bottle, placing it with the rest of his collection. 

"Just say that I'm helping out to put another nail in the coffin of Mister Parsons. It will just be another charge against him and hopefully it, together with all the other shit the FBI have against him will be enough to get him behind bars for a very long time." 

"Gen, I don't follow." Danni frowned. 

"Oh, did I forget to mention. Parsons is also a suspected pedophile, but due to a lack of sufficient evidence, he couldn't be charged. The FBI and the locals are now working together in getting him behind bars on various other charges, including hiring illegals." 

"Jared's not illegal." 

Genevieve grinned. "But how is he going to show that Jared's not illegal if he doesn't have him on the books. And if Jared's not on the books, I can promise you, there'll be others not on the books." 

"Now that I understand. It's almost like when they caught Al Capone on tax evasion." Steve smirked. "Clever." 

"What do we do when it's not Jared?" Misha took a seat next to Danneel. 

Genevieve shook her head. "It's him. We need to be positive." She looked at her phone as it started to chime. Quickly she pressed a few keys on the keyboard and answered it in fluent Italian. The rest of the team looked on as she held the conversation before she ended the call. Genevieve had a grin on her face, but her shoulders sagged. "It's him. He's alive." 

There was something in her voice that made Steve frown. "But?" 

"He didn't return to work after the accident. No one has seen him again. He hasn't even picked up his last pay." 

Misha placed his hand on her shoulder. "Do we know where he stays?" 

Gen shook her head. "Not really. But I think we need to go there and ask around." 

"You've got that right. I'll fetch Jensen and Chris." Steve said even as he ran up the stairs to their living quarters. 

Danneel looked at Steve before she turned and faced Genevieve. "Are we sure about this? It will kill Jensen if it turns out to be another dead end." 

"He confirmed it was Jared on the photo, Danni. We have to make sure." Genevieve reached for car keys. "You know Jensen's view on this. Until he sees Jared's body with his own eyes, Jared is still alive. We just have to keep on believing." 

"Then let's keep on believing." Misha grabbed Danneel by the arm and pulled her close. "Let's do it for Jensen." 

Danneel nodded her head. They were right, they had to keep on believing. She looked on as Steve ran down the stairs back to them. She was not surprised to see Jensen and Chris hot on his heels. She couldn't help but to notice just how run down Jensen looked and she found herself saying a soft prayer. They had to find Jared, it just had to be him.

[ ](http://imgur.com/GEuPtnq)

"Jen," both Chris and Steve reached Jensen's side simultaneously as their friend's legs gave way and he nearly landed on the ground. 

"Easy, we've got you." Steve helped Jensen to lean against him while he shared a concerned look with Chris. 

"I'm fine," Jensen tried to pull away, but found that Steve's grip around his shoulders tightened up. 

"Humor, me." Steve whispered against Jensen's ear as he pulled him even closer and let his friend rest against him. "You're forgetting you're still running around with a concussion and by the look of things you've clearly overdone it." 

Jensen's shoulders sagged visibly as he sighed. "He's not here, Steve. We're too late." When Steve came running into his room with a smile on his face, Jensen couldn't believe his ears. They were the words he wanted to hear for so long and even before Chris could help him from the bed he was up and making his way to the door. 

At first, Steve wanted to deny the statement, but he knew Jensen was correct. They were too late. It seemed like Jared had moved out that same evening after the accident at the docs. What bothered him more was the place Jared called _home_. It was something between a halfway house and a homeless shelter, the people staying there bunked up to six in a room, everyone just sleeping on a sleeping bag or a loose blanket or two. They had to pay a staggering amount for the room per day and it did not include meals. Already Danneel had been on the phone in an attempt to arrange alternative sleeping place for the people staying there and making sure at the same time that the place was shut down as it was clear that they were taking these people for a ride. 

"We know he's alive, Jensen. That's more than what we knew a few hours ago." Chris spoke up next to them. 

Jensen remained silent. He couldn't describe the feeling he felt when more than one person at the docs, and here at the shelter, confirmed that it was Jared, whom they were looking for, although they referred to him as John. But now, instead of having more answers, they had more questions. Jensen couldn't help but to wonder why was Jared staying here? Why did he take the job as a crane operator at the docs? Why was he using the name John Smith, but the most burning question was the one he knew everyone was wondering about - why hasn't he come home? 

"He all right, you all right?" Misha addressed all of them at the same time when he exited the building and saw Jensen leaning heavily against Steve.

The _'he's overdone it'_ from Steve was mixed with the _'I'm fine'_ , from Jensen and Misha shook his head. "I believe them more than what I believe you at this stage." He handed Jensen a bottle of water and made sure the man drank more than half of it before he spoke up again. "I managed to speak to a few people who knew Jared from the beginning and I think I know why he did not come home." He rolled his eyes when Jensen managed to step away from Steve and stood on his own feet. 

"What did you find out?" Jensen's voice was gruff. 

"He mostly kept to himself, soft spoken, but didn't take it well when some gang members showed up one time and tried to shunt people around. He made sure they knew they were not welcome here.” Misha took a deep breath. “I also found out that he’s plagued with nightmares and walks with a slight limp. Other than that, he seemed to be fine.”

“Fine? You’re forgetting about the fact that he goes by the name John Smith and has not returned home.” Jensen snapped, but then raised his hand in apology. “That was uncalled for, I’m sorry.” 

Misha only nodded his head. No words spoken to Jensen would make things better. “Where do we go from here?” 

“You’ll be taking Jensen back to HQ and we’ll start looking around at other similar places to see if we can find him.” Christian responded to the question. 

“I’m not going back.” Jensen replied stubbornly as he pushed himself away from Steve’s chest. 

“Yes, you are.” It was Jeff that spoke up. “You will have no further part in this investigation, not until I’m satisfied that you can keep within the rules.” 

Jensen blanched at the words. He knew his behavior took things too far, but not being able to look for Jared, that was something he could not do. “No, you can’t keep me away.” 

Jeffrey closed the distance between them and placed his arm on Jensen’s shoulder. “Believe me, that’s the last thing I want to do, but you’ve taken it too far. Let things just settle down and then you can come back. I don’t want to see Beaver giving the go-ahead for you to be arrested. You know the locals will do it with a smile. You’ve stepped on too many of their toes the last few months.” 

“They deserved it, they’re useless.” Jensen bristled with anger. 

“I agree, but that’s not the point. The point is for them to settle down, you get your head back into the game and we’ll find Jared in the mean time. We know now he’s alive, Jensen. We’ll find him.” 

Jensen knew Jeffrey’s words were true, but it still stung. “You’ll keep me in the loop.”

“I will, but you’ll stay out of this, until I tell you otherwise, understood?” Jeff pressed his forehead against Jensen’s.

“Understood.” Jensen sighed and then his legs gave way, making Jeffrey to grab him in an attempt to keep him from tumbling over. 

“Let’s get you back to HQ.” Misha helped Jensen into the one SUV and waited for Danneel and Genevieve to join them before returning to their workplace. The remaining men would start canvassing the area while Danni and Gen would start making calls to see if they could find something more. 

Danni looked at Jensen with concern clearly visible on her face. She loved the man, he was her best friend and to see him going through such pain made her want to keep him close and safe. But she knew, the only way Jensen would get better was when Jared stood before him. She could only hope that it will happen soon. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

_He had to run, they were closing in. Their footsteps sounded hard behind him as he tried to look for a place to hide. He had no idea what they wanted from him, but deep within him he knew that should they find him, he would die._

_He spotted a dark alley and slipped in. His leg burned, he could feel something running down his calf, but there was no time to check. The footsteps were even closer and he held his breath in an attempt not to give his position away. They stopped a few paces from where he was hiding. He tried to see if he could identify the people that were chasing him, but their faces remained hidden in the shadows._

_He relaxed as the men finally slipped away, back from the way they came and he could breath again. He waited another few minutes before finally slipping out of his hideaway and quietly made his way back on the street. And then he heard it. That soft click of a weapon being cocked and even as he turned the noise of the pistol being fired rang in his ears. Pain flashed through him and then he had to gasp for air as he was surrounded by water, the deep, murky surroundings threatening to let him drown._

Jared gasped for air and then found himself awake on the thin blanket he kept between him and the cold earth. He was covered with a sheen of sweat, his body trembling hard as the nightmare slowly retracted from his mind, leaving him breathless and utterly spent. 

“Fuck,” Jared dragged his hand over his face, trying to calm himself by taking some deep breaths, but it took him a while before he finally had his breathing under control. He hated the dreams that plagued his sleep. They were always the same, starting with him running from someone, that feeling of escaping before the intense flash of pain through his shoulder and then the feeling of drowning. His fingers traced the raw scar on his right shoulder. It was slowly starting to heal, but still tender to the touch. He shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of the last images of his dream, but they stayed put. Some days he preferred these dreams over the others. The others made him scream for hours, made him sick to the stomach and left him dazed for hours. He didn’t need to feel the indentation over his ribs to know that just like the drowning dream, the torture dreams also held some truth. 

He could still recall the first time he regained consciousness when the pain in his shoulder forced him out of this dark place he found himself in. It was only starting to get light and he was wet to the bone, blood ran sluggishly down his left leg and over his shoulder. For a moment he wondered what had caused the injuries, but then he saw them for what they were – gunshot wounds. Things became hazy again and Jared had no idea on how he managed to get away from the riverbank or how he found himself in the abandoned house, but something at the back of his mind told him he couldn’t get help. If he wanted to survive his injuries he had to do it on his own. With great difficulty he’d managed to rid himself of his shirt and got a proper look at the wound. It needed stitches, the one on the back of his calf as well, but he had no idea on where to go for help with that nagging feeling he had. When he found the small packet filled with white powder sewn into the seam of his shirt he knew he wouldn’t be going to the police. He was on his own. By this time he was struggling to stay awake and couldn’t even gather the strength to keep awake as he got pulled into the darkness again.

Jared had no idea of the period of time that passed before he regained consciousness again, but this time he was shivering and it was not from being cold. Infection has set in and he knew he had to get help. It took him a very long time before he managed to get up from the floor and make his way out of the abandoned building. It took him even longer before he spotted the first of a few houses scattered around him. All seem quiet and after making sure no one was at home, Jared gained entry into the house and raided it for what he needed. He took everything the people had in their bathroom cupboard, he found a sewing kit which he grabbed and he took food from the kitchen. On his last legs, he made it back to the abandoned house before darkness claimed him again. 

When he woke up the third time, it was getting dark and he knew he had to get things done. Later on he would wonder on how he knew what to do, or even what medicine to take, or how lucky he was that he got his hands on antibiotics, but in that moment he acted on instinct as he threaded the needle and managed to stitch both his shoulder and his leg up. It was not the easiest of the neatest thing he’s done, but it was done. 

Realizing he had no idea of who he was came with a shock. It was about the same time he started having the nightmares, and also dreaming of the man with the faint freckles, the greenest eyes he’d ever seen and the badge. For reasons unknown, it felt to him as if he could trust this stranger with his life, but he had no idea of where he would start looking for this man and after finding the drugs he knew there was no way of him going to the police. 

It had taken him a few weeks to get better enough to leave the abandoned house behind and move on. He found he had a knack of getting into houses unnoticed, stealing what he needed before getting back to his temporary home. Jared soon found himself in the city and seeing the White House standing proud he realized for the first time where he was and it was as something clicked and he found himself walking the streets with ease. He still made sure to stay away from any police officers and found himself being able to detect who carried a concealed weapon effortlessly. He tried to remember where he came from, who he was, but he kept on drawing a blank and the more he tried to force himself to remember the worse his nightmares got. What surprised him even more was how quickly he could manage certain things. He initially thought himself to be a doctor with the way he knew which medication to take, or how he knew to stitch himself up, but then he realized he was a real Jack of all trades and that the things he was unsure of how to do, he only had to watch once before he picked it up. He worked for a few days as a sushi chef, before moving on and working as a mechanic. Both jobs he could do with his eyes closed. Even as he took his last job at the docs he had the suspicion he never operated one of the machines before, but once he was shown how, it also came to him naturally. But when the accident occurred, something inside of him told him to run and run he did. He’d been hiding in the dark alleys now for almost two weeks and he knew it was time to start working again, to make some money, to get a place to sleep, but more important to get what he needed. When he found the track marks on his wrists and on other places on his body, it explained the withdrawal symptoms he’d experienced. He tried to quit, but the drugs kept calling out to him. It was his crutch in life, even if it was a deadly one. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

Jared stretched hard as he tried to work the kinks out of his back. He’s been on his feet for almost ten hours straight, working a double shift at the restaurant, where he was lucky enough to find a job as a waiter. The pay was nearly nonexistent, but at least it got him a plate of food per day and that left the meager amount he did earn for his other needs. 

He was about to return to the main part of the restaurant when someone walked in and shoved him hard into the wall. Jared’s first instinct was to fight, but the barrel of the weapon pressed against his waist made him stand still. “What do you want?” He asked through clenched teeth. 

The man snorted. “You asking me what I want, Jared? You’re the one that’s supposed to be dead and yet here you are, serving dinner as if you have no care in the world. I would say you’re either very lucky, or very stupid.” 

"Do you know me?" The words spilled from his mouth, even before he could stop himself. The man called him Jay and even though he was pressed against the wall with a pistol pointed at him, he couldn't help but to think about the name. He didn't look like a Jared and it certainly didn't ring any bells. 

Tom snorted. He couldn't believe his ears. "Are you crazy or are you playing dumb? I mean, seriously, Jared, what the fuck?" He looked over his shoulder as the door opened behind him. He didn't even have to indicate with his head for the young waiter to leave before the door slammed closed behind him and they were alone again. 

Jared had no idea on how to answer the question, the only reason he could think why this man might be after him was that he owed him money for the drugs he used. "Do I owe you money? I have some, I can pay you." 

The sincerity in Jared's voice made Tom realized something. "You really don't have any idea of who I am, or for that matter of who you are, do you?" Tom snorted. "The Boss is going to love this." He stepped back and reached for his phone. "Stay," he addressed Jared as if he was giving man's best friend a order to heel. He placed the phone against his ear and waited for the phone to be answered on the other side. He grinned as Penikett finally answered the phone.

"Boss, you will never believe who I just ran into." He snorted again. "Let's just say you're going to love this surprise." He nodded his head and then ended the call. "Let's go." He grabbed Jared by the arm and pulled him to the back exit. 

"I can't. I'm still working." Jared tried to pull away, but found himself with the pistol pressed against his waist again. "I've shot you once before, I'll do it again." Tom sneered and pushed Jared out of the door before he started to laugh. "I can't wait to see Penikett's face, it's going to be a classic." He shook his head and marched Tony to a dark sedan parked around the corner. "Get in." He shoved Jared hard into the back of the car before shouldering his weapon and getting in behind the wheel. "It's going to be fun." He looked at the man in the rearview mirror. "I can't help but to wonder, Jared, just how many lives do you have?" 

_"I've shot you once before, I'll do it again."_ The man's words kept on turning in his head and the images that normally tortured in his dreams made themselves known in his mind. He found himself lost between reality and his own nightmares, not even hearing Tom's words as the body guard spoke to him. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

Penikett looked up as the murmurs of the different men around him grew louder. For a moment he could only stare at the sight before him, before he finally managed to get to his feet. "You must be fucking kidding me." He was aware of the fact that more than one man in the room had their weapons drawn and he shook his head for them to stand down. 

"I always thought you had a pair of steel balls, Jared, but this. This is something else." He knew he's supposed to be pissed, but seeing Jared alive before him made him realize just how much he came to depend on the man. The betrayal he felt at Jared's hands was something he would never forget. He looked on as Tom led Jared to him and then shoved him hard so that Jared landed on his knees. He couldn't help but to lean forward and grab hold of Jared's hair before slamming his fist into Jared's face. He felt the cartilage break beneath his fist and the way the blood spilled made him want to hit him again, but he let him fall back and looked on in aversion at the man before him. "You should've stayed dead, Jared." He cleaned his hand with a handkerchief before he spoke up again. "Get Pellegrino on the line and arrange a meet, but don't tell him about Jared. I want it to be a surprise." With hate clearly visible on his face, he stepped back and kicked Jared hard on the side of the head, looking on with a grin of satisfaction on his face as Jared crumbled to the floor out cold. It seemed like his day just got a whole lot better and this time he would make sure Jared, or Jay, or whatever his real name was, stayed dead. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

[ ](http://imgur.com/Fkm6wf2)

Jared awoke to a world of pain and groaned out loud as he tried to move and found himself unable to do so. Slowly he managed to open his eyes and had to blink a few times before his vision cleared. He was somewhere damp, he could smell it in the air and could see the mold against the walls. He was in a cell no bigger than ten paces by five paces, and he had a feeling that if he had been allowed to stand tall his head would brush up against the ceiling. At the moment he was tied to a chair, so tightly that he already had no feeling in his feet or his hands. His head hurt like crazy, it throbbed in rhythm with his pulse and he didn’t need to see the blood that decorated his trousers to know that his head was bleeding. It was then that he realized that he was only clad in his trousers. His shirt, as well as his undershirt has been removed. His feet were bare. 

He had no idea of who these people were or what they wanted from him. It was clear that he owed them more than just money for drugs. It seemed to him that he'd managed to piss them off to such an extent that from what he heard and the little what he understood they already tried to kill him once. For the first time since waking up on that river bank, Jared knew he had to get away, that if he didn't, he would be killed. Jared tried to wriggle his hands and feet in an attempt to loosen the ropes that bound him, but they were too tight, he could feel the skin burning underneath the ropes as he first just irritated the areas with his actions but they quickly become raw and still the bindings held. 

When he heard the approaching footsteps, he ceased his actions and for a moment he had no idea if he should fake being unconscious, or if he should sit up waiting for them. He decided to see what was coming his way, so when the door opened he looked straight up, but did groan as the harsh light from outside the room blinded him for a few seconds.

"You're awake. Good, now I don't have to drag your heavy ass upstairs." It was the man who first cornered Jared at the restaurant that stood in the door. He didn't even care that Jared did not respond, but pulled a large pistol from a shoulder holster and pointed it at Jared's head. "I'm supposed to bring you up, but if you give me one ounce of grief I will blow your brains out and no one will raise an eyebrow over it. Understood?" 

Jared didn't trust his own voice, so he merely nodded his head in agreement. Something inside of him said that he was able to take the man down, but but even though he'd taken those thugs down a while back, he doubted that voice now and decided to play along until he saw a better opportunity to escape. 

Tom led Jared out of the damp room, up the stairs and through the old dilapidated dwelling to where his boss and Pellegrino waited on them. He wasn't surprised to find the place empty, knowing through experience that Penikett loved taking care of his own problems and he heard via the grapevine that Pellegrino had the same attitude when it came to solving problems. 

"Bring him over." Tahmoh indicated to the length of chain that hung from a high beam. He waited for Tom to step closer before he grabbed the man by the arm and punched him in the face, loving the sound of flesh hitting flesh. He was surprised that Jared didn't even try to fight back, the young man just falling over, landing hard on his back. 

The fist against his face came as a total surprise as Jared found himself falling to the floor, his vision clouded by the force behind the fist. Something inside of him growled and he wanted to leap to his feet, to hit back, but he decided to be cautious. He still had no idea on what they wanted. 

Penikett snorted. "I think you're right, Tom," he addressed his bulky bodyguard. "There's something wrong with him." 

Pellegrino growled. "There's nothing wrong with him, he's just putting up an act." He stepped forward and before Jared could react, he kicked him in the head, watching with glee as Jared's eyes rolled back in his head and he became still. 

Tahmoh shook his head. "I thought we wanted answers." He sighed at the older man. "Now we'd have to wait again for him to regain consciousness. At least you didn't kill him." He snorted. "You didn't even kill him the first time, like when you were supposed to, so why would you get it right this time." 

"Fuck you, Penikett." Pellegrino growled. He still couldn't believe that the man lying on the floor before he was still alive. He'd seen the blood coloring the water there on the riverbank. He was positive that he had made a clean shot. "He's worse than a fucking cat." 

He ignored the slur that was directed at him, but focused his attention on Jared. "Well, then I would say this is his ninth life." Penikett indicated to Tom and watched as the big guy managed to lift Jared up to his feet and tie him to the dangling chain. "Go, I'll meet up with you later." He didn't wait for Tom to reply but turned his attention back to the unconscious man. "He's lost a lot of weight." 

"Are you fucking kidding me? He can take you down, he has taken me down and you're worried about his fucking weight?" Pellegrino cursed in anger as he walked around the limp body, wanted to lash out at him again, but also wanting Jared to be able to feel each fist that connected to his flesh. 

Tahmoh ignored the man next to him as he focused more of his attention on the man hanging from the beam. Finally, he spoke up again. "I'm well aware of the fact that he can take me down, but I've already dealt with everything he had access to and there's something else you need to consider. So for one second let go of your anger and think about it." He was reaching his own limit of patience. 

"There's nothing to think about, and I would warn you to stop using that tone of voice with me, I'm not one of your henchmen." 

Penikett laughed out loud. "You're right, you're not, because if you were, you would've been dead the moment it came to light that Jared was still alive. You're also very low on the totem pole, Mark, so I would advise you to show some respect." 

Pellegrino stepped back. For a second he'd forgotten to whom he was talking. In the past five and a half months since he's been back on the street, he'd come to realize on just how ruthless Penikett was and although he was still using him as a stepping stone to bigger things, he knew that now was not the right time to make a move. Instead, he slightly bowed his head and remained quiet. 

Penikett smirked at the sign of submission and turned back to face Jared. He walked closer and saw something that made him smile even wider. "He's using." He indicated to the few track marks that decorated the inside of Jared's arm. Penikett pulled a knife hidden in his trouser leg and cut away the broad leather cuff that decorated Jared's left wrist. The track marks he found there ranged from old to only a day or two old. He stepped back and looked at Pellegrino. "Have you figured it out yet?" 

"He's a fucking snitch, there's nothing to figure out." Mark was seething. 

Penikett shook his head. "And then you wonder why Jared managed to take your operation down." He used the knife to clean his nails as Pellegrino growled at him. He had to give credit to the man, he could've reached for his weapon and shot him, but at least it seemed like he was making an effort to restrain himself. "You're arrogant, Mark and in our business that's a good thing. But with arrogance there should also be caution. Something that you threw to the wind when it came to this man, when it came to your own business. You referred to Jared as a cat, and I have to agree, he seems to be blessed with more than one life, but he's no cat. He's something more. Something unique, but I'll let you wonder about that on your own time. Let me enlighten you on what I wanted you to figure out." He circled around Jared before he came back to stand in front of him. "He's been alive for the past five and a half months, and yet, here we stand. We're still free men and he's been working as a waiter. He did not recognize Tom and he for sure didn't recognize either of us when he saw us again. You know Jared, you know that if anyone would hit him, he would fight back, it didn't matter what the odds are against him, and yet, he let Tom lead him in here as meek as a lamb and when I hit him and you kicked him he did not once try to fight back, or at least tried to block the blows. It's as if he has no idea on what he's capable of. So let me ask you this, why is he working as a waiter, why is he using, and for the love of me, why the hell are we still walking free if he went to the police?" 

Slowly Penikett's words sunk in and Pellegrino looked with new eyes at the man hanging from the beam. "He doesn't remember."

"You finally figured it out." Penikett held up a hand. "We'll still have to make sure, but yes, he doesn't remember. He has no fucking clue on who he is, or who we are." He couldn't help but to grin. He could imagine that when Jared disappeared without trace that whoever send Jared in wanted to take him down, but for one or other reason they did not and he's going to use that to his advantage. He was going to take the man he knew as Jared, or Jay, or whatever the hell his correct name was and he was going to make him into a proper thug and then he's going to set him up and let him go down. It was going to be spectacular. 

"What are you thinking?" Pellegrino asked as he saw the evil smirk on Penikett's face. 

"You'll see." Penikett took his phone and dialed a number. After talking for a few seconds he ended the call. "Let's go." 

"What about him?" Pellegrino looked over at Jared. 

"We'll see him later on." Penikett walked away, knowing that Pellegrino would follow. He had some arrangements to make and it would take some time, but the results would be worth the while.

[ ](http://imgur.com/GEuPtnq)

**Three Months Later - Washington D.C.: Police HQ**

[ ](http://imgur.com/Lqabgsx)

Jensen lowered his head in his hands as the photo slipped through his fingers and landed on the floor. He was aware of Jim and Jeffrey talking, but their voices washed over him and he couldn't help but to see the images on the photos before his eyes. 

All of the photos were taken with a long lens. One showed Jared standing right at Penikett's shoulder, the two in a deep conversation. The next showed Jared shoving what looked like to be a homeless man out of Penikett's way, even kicking the man a few times before getting into the town car after Penikett. A few of them showed Jared armed and it was clear from all of the photos that Jared was Penikett's bodyguard, and his main bodyguard to be. All of the other men respected him and followed his orders as the photos depicted Jared handing out orders. 

Finally, Jensen managed to find his voice. "This would never have happened." He looked up at the two older men standing across from him. Fury clearly visible on his face as he got to his feet. "If you gave me what I asked for this wouldn't have happened." He snatched up one of the photos and shoved it hard against Beaver's chest. "We could've prevented this." 

Jim knew there were truth in Jensen's words, but at the time Jensen made his request, his hands were tied, not only by the Governor, but by the Hill itself. There was nothing they could've done. He had told Jensen so at the time without giving him a proper explanation and still regretted not being able to do something about it. "You're right, but it's water under the bridge now, Jensen. There's nothing we can do about it now." 

"Then why are you showing us this? Or is this just your way in rubbing my nose in the fact that I couldn't bring Jared home?" Jensen knew he was being unreasonable, but the ability of being reasonable has long since left him. 

Jim's head snapped back at the accusation and Jeffrey growled at the implication of Jensen's words. "You know Jim would never do that." Jeffrey responded first. 

Jensen cocked his head, his anger still threatening to boil over. "Do I? I seemed to recall me on my knees, uncle Jim, begging you to let me go after Penikett, to take him down. We had enough at that time, but you told me no. You said it wasn't the right time. You didn't care that Jared had disappeared without a single trace. You didn't care that Penikett was our only link in finding Jared, you just wanted more. But what? Because now, almost six months later, that fucking bastard is still walking around freely and you did nothing to stop him. Not one fucking thing." Jensen snorted. "And then to top everything up who showed up just after Jared disappeared? Mark Pellegrino. Something you failed to inform us of while Jared was still undercover and don't come with that bullshit story that you didn't know he was being released. You're the supposed police commissioner, you should've been aware of stuff like that." 

Jeffrey turned to face Jim after Jensen's last statement. "You knew Pellegrino was out?" Suddenly he could understand Jensen's anger. They were all aware of the fact that when Jared took the Pellegrino family down that there was a hefty sum of money placed on Jared's head. They even had to keep him under wraps for three months to let the dust settle before Jensen let Jared get back under cover again. If it wasn't for Jared's unique capabilities of turning into someone totally different, they wouldn't even have considered it. 

Jim sighed, dragged his hand across his face and flopped down on the couch behind him. "I knew." He let the magnitude of his statement settle before he continued. "I was ordered not to let you take Penikett down. Things - political things were stirring on the Hill and by the powers that be, it was decided to let things play out." Jim shook his head. "And then everything went to hell in a handbasket and now we've got this mess on our hands." 

Jensen looked up at the man he regarded as a father and for the first time he saw the volume of weight Jim has lost. His face drawn with worry, his clothes hanging loose from his frame. "Who took these photos?" He forced himself not to comment on the state Jim was in. He was too angry to care about someone else right now. 

"FBI." Jim took the photo Jensen had shoved against his chest. It was the one of Jared talking to Penikett, something in the photo made it seem as if they were having a very intimate moment. If the rumors were true, Penikett and Jared were more than just mob boss and bodyguard. "They're planning a big sting operation in a week's time. One of the agents thought he'd recognized Jared and brought the photos over." He knew what he was about to say was going to rock the boat even more. "They have indictments for Jared as well. They'll be charging him with racketeering, money laundering, grand larceny, as well as murder." He didn't give Jensen the opportunity to respond but took another two photos from the inside of his jacket. It was folded into four. "You also need to be aware of these." He waited until Jensen snatched the photos from his hand and opened them up before he spoke up again. 

"Both of those photos were taken less than a week ago. Both at a private club where the FBI had an undercover man stationed there for the past three months." 

Jensen swallowed hard at the images he saw before him. The first photo was of Jared busy shooting up, the emotion of pure bliss clearly visible on his face. The undercover had managed to take a very good photo; not only showing Jared's face, but the track marks on his wrist were clearly visible. The second photo was even more disturbing. It showed Jared cleaning a knife against his trouser leg, a body sprawled out at his feet. Jared was laughing over his shoulder, not a hint of regret noticeable on his face. "Who's the deceased?" 

"Young guy by the name of Anthony Larson. As far as the feds could establish he worked for Penikett as a drug runner. Penikett received information that the youth skimmed some of the drugs and Jared took care of the problem. Penikett was not there that night, Jared was on his own." 

"Fuck," Jeffrey cursed. Jared was screwed. If Penikett was there they could've raised the possibility that he was threatened and that he had no choice, but with Jared being alone and with that smile that made his dimples so noticeable, no member of a jury would believe that reasoning. 

Jensen closed his eyes and just sat there not knowing what to do. He knew he had to get Jared back, he would not let him go down for this, but why was Jared doing this, why was he not coming back to them. The young man knew Jensen would do everything in his power to keep him safe. Something else was amiss and he had no idea on how to find out what it was. He opened his eyes and looked at Jim. "Three months ago we tracked him down again. He worked at a restaurant as a waiter. The problem is, when we showed up, he was gone again. Disappeared in the middle of his shift. Strange for him to then show up next to Penikett then shortly after that, don't you agree?" 

"What are you saying, Jensen?" Jim frowned. 

"I'm saying as I've been saying for all of these freaking months. Something has happened to Jared. That's the reason why he never came back into the fold. I have a feeling he was free of Penikett, but unlike us, Penikett managed to get hold of Jared again and for one or other strange reason Jared is now Penikett's main bodyguard. Penikett must be up to something and we need to find out what." 

Jeffrey had to agree, something was indeed up. 

Jensen looked at Jeffrey and then at Jim. "When does the FBI plan on taking down Penikett?" 

"They're finalizing their plans. Three weeks at the most, I'm not sure." 

"Then find out and let me know." Jensen turned around and walked to the door, his head racing with possible plans. 

"What are you going to do, Jensen?" Beaver asked in concern. He knew whatever Jensen had planned, he would have to stop, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Not this time around. 

"Something that I was supposed to have done almost nine months ago. I'm bringing Jared back." Jensen didn't bother to look back, just opened the door and walked out. He had a mission to plan; he had a lover to bring back. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

**Undisclosed location: 72 Hours later**

Jared hissed as the man he labeled a butcher tucked at the needle to place another stitch in the row of stitches that decorated his bicep. "A vet can do this better than you." Jared clenched on his teeth and as the man pushed the needle back into his arm he shoved hard, making the shivering man tumble backwards. "GET OUT, I'll do it myself." Jared didn't spare another look at the man but took the bloodied needle between his fingers and pulled it through. It still stung, but now that he had control over the needle, he had control over the pain and within a few minutes he bit the thread off and threw the bloodied needle to the side. He looked over to where one of the new recruits was standing green around the gills. "Get me some bandages." He barked out the order and made it to his feet to wash his hands before drying them quickly and reaching for the white strips to cover up the injury. He didn't look at any of the other men surrounding him, instead he reached for a clean shirt that he always carried with him and dressed up neatly. "Get rid of that." He indicated at the body on the floor. The man had put up a good fight. It was not often that someone managed to get to draw blood from him, but in the end he was no match for Jared and the bulkier man wasted no time in pressing the knife in between the ribs right through the heart. It was a dirty business, but he gladly took care of the garbage. 

Tom and Mike shook their heads as Jared walked pass them. They knew why Penikett had told them to accompany Jared today, it was another test set up by Penikett to test Jared's loyalty. And once again Jared had passed with flying colors. "What's wrong, you look agitated?" Mike asked as the three of them got into the back of the limousine. 

"Why do you want to know?" Jared barked out again. He was in a fair amount of pain, it had been too long since his last fix and once again he had to prove to Penikett that he had his back. He was getting tired of being tested all the time and then having to play dumb like he didn't know Tahmoh was testing him. 

Mike shrugged uncomfortably. "Just making small talk." 

"Then stop. You don't care; I don't care, so leave it." Jared reached for his phone and tossed it to Tom. "Phone the boss and tell him I've passed. Tell him I meet him at the house." With that, he closed his eyes and concentrated on getting his pain under control. In a short while he'd be home and could take care of his cravings. He would love to let Penikett fuck him into the mattress, or any other surface for that matter, but at the moment he was just too pissed off to even think about getting laid. Instead, he found his thoughts drifting back to his dreams. He once again dreamt of the man with the emerald eyes and freckles. He couldn't get the man out of his head no matter how hard he tried. It was as if the man was calling out to him and Jared just couldn't remember who he was or why he kept on dreaming about him. 

Tom looked at Mike and then at Jared. It was the first time that Jared had called them out after he was tested. He didn't have to confer with Mike to know that his friend thought the same. Jared is one hundred percent loyal to Penikett. No number of tests would change that. He took Jared's phone and pressed the speed dial button. "It's me." He didn't give a name, they never did. "He's done it, got some stitches in his arm and said we'll meet you at the home." Tom didn't need to add that Jared knew he was tested. The fact that he used Jared's phone to make the call said it all. Tom closed the phone after the call was disconnected and kept it in his hand not wanting to disturb Jared's seemingly peaceful rest. He couldn't help but to think back on what had happened just after Jared returned to them from the dead.

_When he saw Jared again, it was twenty-four hours later and this time Jared was strapped to a chair to something that looked like a polygraph machine and hooked to an IV line on the other side. Penikett was seated across from Jared while Pellegrino was seated to the side. Two other men crowded the small space._

_"I can't tell you how accurate these answers are going to be, Mister Penikett as I have not many questions to establish a baseline."_

_Penikett nodded his head. "I only want a rough estimate, so don't worry too much." He leaned forward and backhanded Jared hard until the bound man's eyes flew open. It took Jared a while before he could focus on what was going on around him._

_Penikett smiled when Jared focused on him. "Good, now we can start." He indicated to the man next to him. "We're going to ask you a few questions. If you're telling the truth, I will let you live. If not, well then you know what will happen._

_Tom looked on as the man started asking Jared some basic questions. Jared was required to answer no or yes and once or twice he was told to answer untruthfully. Soon the man was happy with the baseline and Penikett took over the questioning._

_It didn't matter what Penikett asked, the lines spit out by the machine stayed the same, except for Jared's pulse and heart rate that increased due to the fact that both Penikett and Pellegrino got rough with him, but other than that nothing else._

_It surprised Tom when the other man stepped forward with a vial in his hand and pushed some of the liquid into the IV that was connected to Jared. Penikett waited for a time until the man nodded his head and then continued the questioning. Jared's answers were slurred, but he kept to the same answer to each one. After three hours of constant badgering Penikett finally stopped and grinned. "Clean him up, he's mine."_

_It was Tom and Mike's responsibility to clean the room and take care of Jared. When Tom passed the waste bin he noted the emptied vial and the name on it - Sodium Pentothal - truth serum. For a moment Tom wondered what had happened to Jared to erase all of his past, not remembering a single thing of himself. Although at that stage Jared didn't know it, that day became the first day of his new life. One, that Tom suspected would end in tragedy if it was up to Tahmoh Penikett._

Tom shook his head as he felt the car coming to a halt. It was never a good thing to dwell on the past. What Penikett got planned for Jared had nothing to do with him and he intended to let it remain like that. All three men got out of the car and walked into the large house, unaware of the pair of eyes that tracked them from the car into the house.

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

**Private HQ: 48 Hours later**

Jensen paced the large room as his eyes drifted to the wall on his left. It was covered in surveillance photos of Penikett, but more so of Jared. They have been following the two men for the past forty-eight hours and have managed to get a feel for their daily routine. Most of the time Jared would accompany Penikett to various meetings, but there were times when Jared went on his own and those times were what interested the team more, but at the same time bothered them more too. Jensen had spotted blood on Jared's arm when they returned from an empty warehouse and later on a body was found in the Potomac River a mile downstream, they could only speculate what had happened there. It had been hard on Jensen not to go down and just get Jared away from there, but he knew he couldn't he'd have to abide his time. 

Jensen looked up as Chris and Jeffrey walked in. From their postures he knew something was up. "What's going on?" 

Jeffrey cleared his throat, 

but it was Christian that answered. "News just in. The FBI is moving in three days. If we want to get him out we'll have to do it tonight, the latest tomorrow."

"FUCK!!!" Jensen yelled as he threw his coffee mug against the wall, the almost black colored liquid staining the wall while the shards of ceramic decorated the floor. "I thought they were only going in on Friday?" 

Jeffrey shook his head. "They suspect they may have a leak, so they moving it up. The only reason we know is because they were kind enough to let Jim know."

Jensen wanted to curse again, but it wouldn't solve his problem, instead, he had to focus on the task in hand. They had to get Jared out of there before the FBI came in. With what they saw, Jared would not hesitate one moment to defend Penikett's life and they knew the FBI wouldn't hesitate to gun Jared down. "Okay, give me time, I need to think." He didn't turn back to face his friends, but left the office space with his head bowed. 

Without thinking he made his way to the second floor and into the bedroom he shared with Jared. He sat down on Jared's side and picked up the book that Jared was still reading and paged through it. He couldn't help but to smirk. Jared was the only one in the group who ever read fiction, even though he complained plenty of times that the authors always got the crime stuff wrong. Jensen leaned back onto the mattress and closed his eyes. He missed Jared so much. Many times over the past nine months he found himself looking up, wanting to share something with his partner only to realize that Jared was not there. And now, now he had to get the man back that he loved with every single molecule in his body and he had to keep him safe, well knowing that at this stage Jared was a drug addict and a merciless killer. Someone, Jensen at one time, had no qualms in removing from society - permanently. 

"Jared, what do I do?" Jensen wished he could have his best friend next to him. To talk things through, to listen to his ideas, to draw strength from his strength, just to hold him close again. Jensen knew what he had to do. He had to get Jared out and then he had to take things day by day. Just the way Jared did things - day by day. He opened his eyes, took a last look at the photo that Jared used of them as a bookmark and then got to his feet. It was time to bring Jared home. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/GEuPtnq)

Misha looked up as he saw the group of men coming their way. He couldn't help but to wonder if he was insane to volunteer for this part of the mission, but then thinking of Jared made him realize that he's done the correct thing. "Get ready," he spoke under his breath as he leaned in and helped a very glamorous Danneel out of the car. Jensen had managed to get them a table for two at the restaurant Jared often frequent and their first order was to see if Jared recognized them. Jensen had told them, it could go one of two ways. One, Jared recognizes them and gives them such an indication or two he doesn't and then they will take it from there.

Danneel felt nervous, it's been quite a while since the last time she's done something like this, but even before Jensen had finished asking her, she said yes and now she was dressed in this magnificent looking Gucci black backless gown. The halter neck was embellished with Swarovski crystals, the dress fitting her like a glove. On her feet she had a pair of Aquazzura sandals with a four inch heel that laced up in front with sheer zig zag sides. She felt like a queen and knew that Jared would notice her immediately. That was the aim, to be noticed. 

She smiled as Misha gave her his hand and gently helped her from the car. They made their way over to the entrance of the restaurant just as Jared approached the door as well. She smiled and stepped forward, but then gave a little yelp as the heel of her right shoe got caught on the uneven pavement and she stumbled forward, right into Jared's arms. 

"Careful," Jared grabbed hold of the redhead that fell forward into his arms. Although he was gay, or at least he thought he was, he had to admire the beauty the moment she stepped from the car. Seeing her didn't raise his libido as a good looking man would, but his cock did give a twitch of appreciation. 

"You all right? Didn't hurt yourself?" He asked as he held her upright. He was aware of the man next to her and couldn't help but to note his intense blue eyes. They made a stunning couple and he smiled as the woman finally found her feet and stood in front of him. For a moment both of them were silent, but then the woman spoke up. 

"Yes, nothing hurt, except my pride. Thank you." Danneel sighed, more out of frustration than just putting up an act. Jared did not recognize her and if he didn't recognize her, he didn't recognize Misha either. They knew Jared was a brilliant actor, but this was even beyond his ability. 

Jared smiled, his dimples prominent before he reached out and gently kissed her on the hand. "Your pride is still intact." He looked up into the man's ice blue eyes again and then quickly looked away. They made him think of the emerald eyes of his dreams. He quickly released the woman's hand and stepped back. "Enjoy your evening." He didn't look at them again, but made his way into the restaurant, not even giving a damn that he didn't wait for the woman and her partner to pass first. 

Danneel wanted nothing more than to get back in the car and drive back to HQ, but knew they couldn't. Instead, she made her way into the dimly lit restaurant and looked on as Misha gave his name and they were escorted to their table. She couldn't help but to swallow hard as she realized they were seated right across from Jared and the two men that shadowed him. It was going to be a long night. She did manage to smile as Misha leaned forward and kissed her softly on the mouth before whispering to her to relax. 

Later on she would have no recollection of what she'd eaten, or even what she and Misha talked about, but when she held Jensen close to her and promised him that Jared was indeed alive; that she'd touched him and spoke to him she made herself a promise that they would get Jared out and they would make sure he got the best care he deserved to become the young man they all loved yet again. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/GEuPtnq)

**Penikett's residence: 24 Hours later**

Jensen used the scope on the M2010 ESR rifle to yet again check for movement in the large mansion. He personally witnessed Penikett leaving the premises forty-five minutes ago with two men. Currently Steve was tailing them and he was in radio contact with the rest of the team should the man decide to return back earlier than what they hoped for. 

He moved his weapon a fraction and looked at the dark van that was parked a block away from the house. Genevieve was behind the wheel, they feisty woman one of the best drivers he's ever known, even if she spend a lot of time speaking in foreign languages. It would be her responsibility to get Jared out of here the moment they retracted him from the house. In the back of the van Misha was armed with an array of drugs. Jensen had fought hard against the idea of drugging Jared, especially since they knew he was using, but in the end, he had to agree. They could not see Jared coming willing with them and the only way to get him out and not to hurt him was to drug him. That was the reason his weapon, as well as Jeffrey's weapon was modified to shoot tranquilizers in case the team on the ground could not extract Jared safely. 

It was Chris' task to gain entry into the house without triggering any alarms and to see if he could get Jared out of there with the bare minimum of disturbance. Jensen had hated the fact that Jared would be removed like a common terrorist. A black bag would be pulled over his head and his hands and feet would be tied with cable ties. Since Chris was the biggest amongst them, he was supposed to swing Jared over his shoulder and carry him out. They were doing this for Jared's own safety. They didn't want Penikett, or any other low life to realize that Jared had been spirited away by any law enforcement agency. 

But, there was also one problem with their plan and that was Jared himself. They might be armed with tranquilizers, but he was not and Jensen could see that even where he walked around in the mansion he had a shoulder holster on, weapon ready. As Jensen knew what to look for he also knew that Jared was carrying at least one backup weapon, strapped to his right ankle. Chris would have to use stealth if he wanted to get close to Jared without alarming him and ending up with a fire fight on his hands. 

Hearing Steve talk in his ear, Jensen listened intently, sighing in relief when Steve confirmed that Penikett was staying put. Something in Steve's voice made Jensen frown, but at that moment Jared received a phone call and his whole posture changed. "We got to move." Jensen had no idea what the phone call was about, but something got Jared spooked and he could see through his scope that Jared was making ready to leave. 

He could see Chris moving through the shadows, making sure the few guards that were patrolling the premises did not spot him. Carefully the bulky man made his way through the garden and gained entry into the house via the side door that was not closed properly by Penikett's study. Jensen held his breath, as Chris cursed in his ear before he could see Chris' silhouette moving forward. Jeffrey directed Chris through the house as Jared prepared to leave. Jensen found himself holding his breath as he watched Chris creeping up behind Jared and then things got complicated. 

Later on Jensen could've kicked himself that he didn't realize it sooner. After all, it was Jared that they were dealing with. Jared had become aware that something was off as he walked the floors in Penikett's large residence. It was as if something inside of him told him to be careful, that something was going down. The phone call he received placed him even more on edge. 

In the past months that he came to live with Penikett, Jared became very familiar with the house, more so than what Penikett would ever be. In fact, he knew the house so well, that on more than one occasion he became aware of Penikett long before the man himself appeared. Of course, that had pissed the man off to the extreme, but still he had no idea on how Jared knew when he would show up. 

Jared ended the call and prepared to move out when he felt the draft that came through the large living room. It meant someone was inside the house. None of the other guards on the premises would come through that side door to gain entry into the house. And since he just spoke to Penikett over the phone he knew it was not his boss that came in. Making sure to keep his movements smooth, he readied himself for an attack, picking the place to fight with care. 

The moment the person behind him stepped forward, Jared swung around and went on the attack himself. He had to frown as the bulky man immediately backed down and it made him growl. "You dare come into my place to attack me and then you back down, you some kind of chicken?" 

Chris had to smile at Jared's words. His friend might not remember who he was, but he still had that spunk that made him uniquely Jared. He also never could resist a challenge issued by Jared so he went on the attack. It was freakingly familiar to spar against Jared, but at the same time it was frightening scary as Jared now more fought like someone on the street and not someone who had formal training in various fighting techniques. 

Jared nodded to himself as the man attacked him hard, it felt good to let his muscles work as he steadily built up a sweat. He himself didn't hold back and found himself surprised at how the man across from him seemed to be able predict his moves and they kept just out of each others' reach to cause any serious damage. Jared growled and then charged. He would've loved in keeping this up, but he had to get out of here. Penikett phoned and told him there was trouble at one of the warehouses and that he had to go and sort it out immediately. He couldn't afford to linger around here sparring while he had more important stuff to do. 

The moment Jared growled Chris knew their time for playing games had come to an end and he was now going to have to fight to stay alive. Once or twice Jared managed to get in some solid hits, and Chris gasped as the last kick of Jared managed to penetrate his defenses and the air got kicked out of his lungs and he nearly face planted on the floor at the intensity of the punches and kicks that continued to rain down on him. 

Jared kicked high, his booted foot catching his attacker high on the chest, making the man lose his footing and stumbling forward. He was surprised when the burly man managed to stay on his knees, and not going down flat on his face. He stepped forward, kicked out again, aiming for the ribs when the man's hand snaked out and caught Jared on the move, making it impossible for Jared to change his position. He tried to twist, but the last move was too quick and Jared gasped as he fell backwards, unaware that they've moved deeper into the large living room and dangerously close to a side table that had some sharp edges. 

Chris saw the table behind them too late and even as he reacted and heard Jensen's scream in his ear, he could do nothing but to look as Jared twisted right into the table, the edge clipping him hard on the back side of the head, Jared landing on the floor with a hard thump. "SHIT!" He jumped forward and immediately felt for a pulse, sighing when he found one immediately. 

"Chris, Chris!" Jensen's voice was frantic in his ear. 

"He's alive, just knocked out." Chris didn't mention the stream of blood that decorated the left back of Jared's skull, instead he took gulps of air as he tried to get his own breathing under control. He looked around for something to stop the bleeding, but finding nothing he pulled the bag that was supposed to go over Jared's head and pressed it against the bleeding wound. He knew Jensen would have his hide for not informing him of the fact that Jared was bleeding, but he had more important things on his mind. Like getting out of here as quickly as possible. They had put up a lot of racket, he was surprised that none of the guards came to investigate the noise. 

"You need to get out of there." It was Jeffrey's voice that filled his ear as Chris finally managed to bind the hood around the bleeding wound. 

"What's heading my way?" Chris asked as he heaved Jared up and over his shoulder in one smooth motion. This time two different voices filled his ears. 

"Two guards, south side," Jeffrey informed him while Genevieve's voice made him aware of the fact that they had other company as well. 

"Fuck," Jensen and Chris cursed together.

"Aren't they a bit early?" Chris huffed as he made his way through the house, away from the guards, and hopefully away from the Feds that Genevieve indicated was also on their way. 

"Does it matter?" Jensen growled as he moved his sight to have a look at the two dark colored sedans and SUV coming around the corner, heading directly to Penikett's home. 

"No, not really." Chris mumbled as he finally managed to get out of the house and made his way to the back of the property. "Going to need some help," he said in his comms-link and then waited until Misha's voice reached his ear to say that he was ready and waiting on the other side. Between the two of them, they managed to get Jared into the van unseen and both men sighed in relief as they pulled away the moment the FBI pulled up. "That was too close for comfort." Chris spoke up as he wiped the sweat from his brow and flinched as he touched his split lip. 

Misha did not respond, instead he frowned as he examined the still unconscious form of their friend. He looked up and found Genevieve's gaze on his. Knowing she saw his expression he nodded his head. "Step on it." He leaned forward and held onto Jared as the woman floored the gas making the big van lurch forward. 

"What's going on?" Chris asked concerned. 

Misha shook his head at first, but then cleared his throat, locking eyes with Chris, but speaking clearly into his throat mike. "We need to get Jared to the hospital and quick." He didn't give Chris the opportunity to ask why, or for Jensen to start asking questions, he kept on talking. "Both his pupils are blown, he's still unconscious, his pulse is very slow, but his blood pressure is on the rise. We need to get him to a hospital and we need to do it quickly." Misha managed to block Jensen's sailor curses from his head as he continued to work on Jared and then cursed himself as Jared started to seize. 

"Come on, buddy, don't do this." Chris mumbled as he helped Misha to make sure Jared didn't injure himself in any way while at the same time he tried to stay out of Misha's way to make it easier for the medic to continue his work. The seizure didn't last longer than a minute, but to Chris it felt like a life time. He was aware of the fact that Misha had pulled out his phone and was talking to the hospital they were on route to. The same one which they have arranged with to help Jared with his drug problem. 

"Damn it, Misha, talk to me." Jensen's voice sounded through their Comms system and Chris cleared his throat before answering. "Misha's on the phone with the hospital, Jensen. Jared just seized, it didn't last long, and Misha administered some drugs. It looks like Jared's settling down."

"Is he still unconscious?" It was Jeff's voice that seeped through the mike. In the background Chris could hear the roar of an engine, knowing, Jeffrey and Jensen made it to the Ducati Diavel Titanium motorcycle, one of only five hundred manufactured and Jensen's personal pride and joy. 

"Yes," Misha's clipped voice answered back. He had relayed Jared's stats to the hospital. "He's stable at the moment. I've given him a dose of Lorazepam and it seems to be working. I've got another dose on standby if necessary." 

"Do you think it will be?" Jensen's voice was a mere whisper. 

Misha shook his head, but then realizing that Jensen could not see him he spoke up. "No, he's blood pressure is no longer rising and his pulse has picked up a bit. He's still unconscious, but it's looking better. "We'll meet you at the hospital." 

"See you there." Jeffrey replied before the comms went silent again.

"This is my fault." Chris lowered his head and then yelped as a hard hit to the back of his own head made him look up again. 

"Don't even think of starting to play the blame game." Misha growled. "It was an accident, so don't go moping around. We got him out, that's more important than anything else."

"Sorry," Chris rubbed his head and then slowly released the breath he'd been holding. "It just happened so fast."

"Accidents do tend to happen fast. But you know Jared. This bump on the head will not keep him down." Misha cringed as he removed the large leather cuff from Jared's right wrist. It was bedecked with track marks. He moved to Jared's left wrist and found the same marks underneath Jared's watch. He moved down towards Jared's legs and quickly slipped off Jared's expensive shoes and socks, inspecting the inside of Jared's toes finding another array of track marks between his toes. He didn't even bother to undue Jared's trousers to check on the inside of Jared's thighs. From what he's discovered so far was clear, Jared was indeed addicted and Misha knew he had a long road of recovery in front of him, and that didn't even include finding out the truth about who he really was. 

Chris couldn't help but to feel angered as he saw all of the track marks. He was angry at the fact that Jared had disappeared and it took them so long to find him again, he was angry at Jensen for allowing Jared to go undercover so quickly after the Pellegrino incident. He was even more angry at Jared for always taking his job too seriously and now with everything he'd seen a true addict, but most of all he was angry at himself. He was not there for Jared, his friend had to go through all of this on his own and Chris knew it would be difficult to forgive himself for that. 

When Genevieve brought the van to a halt in front of the private hospital, Jensen's motorcycle already stood to the side. Chris wasn't surprised to see Jensen leaping into the van and scooping Jared up. He always had the ability to pick up the larger framed man with ease, something that he did now as well. Chris looked on as Jensen gently lowered Jared onto the waiting gurney and then disappeared through the wide doors. It was Genevieve, who took his hand and Jeff, who swung his arm around his shoulder as the three friends followed Misha, Jensen and the gurney inside. 

"He'll be all right." Chris had to say it out loud. He had to hear it for himself to believe it. It just had to be true. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

[ ](http://imgur.com/Tnvez7H)

**Private Medical Center: 72 Hours Later**

"What do you mean he got away?" Jensen hissed as he paced the floor outside Jared's private room. Already more than one of the nurses had looked his way for being on the phone and he knew that should this conversation last any longer they would not hesitate in throwing him out.

Jensen sighed and then nodded his head. "I understand. I'll talk to you later, Jim." He ended the call, lifted his hand to apologize to the nursing staff and then headed back into the room. He sighed again at the sight that greeted him. 

Jared was cuffed to the bed, and not only with the standard hospital issued leather cuffs, but by steel FBI issued cuffs as well. He was not impressed by them and the rest of the team felt the same, but it was either that or Jared being taken into custody and sent to the nearest jail infirmary and that Jensen would not allow. 

He ignored the agent stationed at the door, but fixed his attention on Jeff that was seated close to Jared's bed. They were only allowed two at a time and that was with much begging, since they counted the ass in the corner as one and hospital regulations would only allow one other at Jared's side. Luckily Jensen's charming ways and Misha's charming personality persuaded the Head nurse and she allowed himself and one of the others to be at Jared's side. 

"They botched it up and Pellegrino is in the wind." It took everything he had in him not to turn and punch the agent in the face. The man wasn't even there when the agency went to take Penikett and Pellegrino down, but he was still an agent and the agency he worked for still fucked everything up. 

"What happened?" Jeff asked as he took the cool cloth and placed it on Jared's fevered brow, smiling when the sleeping man sighed at the cool touch. 

"In short, they fucked up." Jensen hissed out of anger, but then sighed when Jeffrey raised his eyebrow at him. 

"Sorry," he leaned forward and pushed Jared's hair out of his face before he made himself comfortable on the side of the bed, ignoring the huff from the agent in the corner. "After their bugger up from three nights ago, they managed to find Penikett and Pellegrino at one of Pellegrino's old business associates. It seemed there was a bit of a shoot out when the feds surrounded the place, a few of the scumbags didn't make it, and Penikett got hit in the hip so they caught him. But it seemed Pellegrino knew of a way out, and since our local feds didn't keep their eyes open he slipped right past them and now no one knows where he is." 

"If you didn't stick your noses where it did not belong this wouldn't have happened." The unknown agent sneered as he leapt to his feet. 

Jeff placed a bracing hand on Jensen's forearm and shook his head. He himself turned the young agent. "And just where exactly did we stick our noses where it did not belong?" 

Jensen had to breathe deep in an attempt to calm himself down and not rip the agent apart. Instead he focused his attention on Jared. Jared who he feared would not survive a mere three days ago... 

_Jared had suffered from a subdural hematoma on the left side of his head, which meant there was bleeding between the skull and the brain. The only way they could release the blood was to perform a procedure called a craniotomy. The doctors described the whole thing in detail, from the way they would shave his head to the fact that they would do a bone flap removal. The blood would be sucked out, and if there were any blood vessels that needed to be repaired it would be done before the bone flap would be fitted back. The operation was deemed to be a success as the bleeding has stopped and the swelling inside of Jared's head had gone down._

_But Jared had to be Jared and between the operation he underwent, and the fact he was suffering from withdrawal symptoms from the drugs he took, he also managed to pick up an infection from a crudely stitched up left arm which Jensen later realized was the arm he saw the blood on when he followed Jared almost a week back. The injury bothered Jensen, he still had no idea on what had happened and it made him feel guilty that he didn’t act on it when he saw the blood a week ago. It didn’t matter that there was nothing he could’ve done then._

_Jared remained unconscious for almost a whole day before he finally opened his eyes for the first time and then went ape shit on all of them when he realized where he was. It was at that stage that the hospital ordered him to be restrained for his own safety and there was nothing Jensen could do to prevent that. Then the FBI showed up and wanted to haul Jared off and if it wasn't for Jim stepping in they might have done just that. Now both Jared's wrists sported a pair of shiny metallic cuffs._

Jensen got pulled back from his musings when Jared groaned softly. He leaned forward and softly spoke to Jared, making sure the other man knew he was safe. He hated the fact that Jared was still so unresponsive towards them. The doctors all said it was normal, that between the major operation he'd undergone, the fact that he had so many drugs swimming in his bloodstream and that he was fighting off the infection would make him unresponsive. It would clear up in a few days. A few days, which Jensen felt they did not have. Jensen listened on as Jeff kept on badgering the young agent. 

"So the initial raid at Penikett's residence was to get Jared?" Jeffrey asked as he felt his own anger rising to the front. It seemed like the whole operation was done to take Jared down, and only after Jim intervened and spoken to the Director at the FBI made the move in on Pellegrino and Penikett. 

"Of course, he's a killer. We've got enough evidence on him to get him the death penalty. Everyone knows if you take down the feet of the enemy the body will not remain standing." 

Jeff didn't comment on the fact that Washington D.C. did not have the death penalty, or that the agent was butchering the saying he was using. It was something that the agent had to find out for himself. Instead, he focused his attention on the agent's last comment. "So, Jared was just a means to an end?" Something was wrong. The information the young man was sharing was not the same that had been relayed to them. They had been under the impression that they thought Penikett and Pellegrino were at Penikett's home when they raided the place three days ago. 

"No, not at all. We've been building a case against _him_ for the past several months now." The agent looked over to where Jensen was soothing Jared down. He frowned as he saw the way the man called Ackles tended to the cold blooded murderer. "You shouldn't do that. He's extremely dangerous." 

The young man's comment made Jensen see red, but even before he could launch himself at the unsuspected fool, Jeff had pushed him away and growled at him to stay put. The look in Jeff's eyes made him nod his head and Jensen turned his attention back to Jared. He had to smile with glee, when Jeff unleashed his own anger at the young agent.

"That man you call dangerous is responsible for taking some of the biggest crooks you've ever heard of in your few years as an agent, off the streets. If it wasn't for him, you would most likely ended up being a drug runner than an FBI agent as the people he removed from the streets have a tendency to take pretty boys like you and turning them into whores that would do anything for their next hit. So, why don't you just shut that hole in your face and keep quiet?" 

Jensen wanted to respond when Jim spoke up at the door. "Couldn't have put it any better, or what do you say, Director Ferris?" He stood to the side and grinned as the young man blanched at the sight of Director Samantha Ferris walking into Jared's hospital room. 

Director Ferris smiled, but her eyes remained hard. She couldn't believe what she'd heard before she and Commissioner Beaver stepped into the room. Something was amiss in her agency and it was time she got to the bottom of it. However, before she could speak up, Jensen interrupted her. 

"I thought I would see you tomorrow?" He frowned. He'd just spoken to Jim and the man did not mention coming to the hospital. 

"I received a visit from Director Ferris and we decided to come by." Jim explained. Samantha also knew Jensen since he was a young boy and when he told her about the balls-up, she was adamant in sorting things out and as she'd always been a no-nonsense kind of woman it meant sorting things out right away. 

"So this is the man who'd captured your heart for the past few years, Jensen." Samantha approached the bed, leaned over and kissed Jensen on the cheek before reaching out and taking Jared's hand in hers. "Do you realize that I've not laid eyes on you for more than six years?" She ignored the gaping agent at the door even though she could see that he wanted to interrupt her on every word she spoke. 

Jensen relaxed as she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Samantha has always been like a mother to him and to see her here gave him hope. "I do apologize. It was never my intention to stay away for so long." 

"Apology accepted, but only if you come to visit. And you must bring this interesting man with you. I've heard a lot about him from Jim. I also know he's in a lot of hot water, so tell me, Jensen, who is Jared Padalecki and why are you insisting that he's one of the good guys when I've got boxes and boxes of evidence that says otherwise?" 

"Madam Director," the young agent has finally found his voice. "I do object. This is not a place for you to be." 

Samantha arched an eyebrow and cocked her head. "Your objection has been noted, but as director of the FBI I believe I'm quite capable of reaching my own decisions on where I can or cannot be. You're excused." She dismissed him with a hand and focused her attention back on Jensen. "So?" She inquired again. 

None of them saw the look of disgust that showed on the young agent’s face before he stormed out of the room. 

Jensen looked at Samantha, then at Jeffrey and Jim before he began to speak. He told her of how he first met Jared, on how he and the rest of the team realized just what a unique person Jared was. He didn't bore her with all of the stats that accompanied Jared's success in the undercover business; instead he made her aware of the man underneath all of that. He gave her a glimpse into the real Jared, the person that only a few people had the privilege to get to know. He finished off by telling her how Jared had disappeared. On how they looked for him everywhere and how they finally managed to trace him. "I am not blind to the fact that he's killed people, but what he's done, he's done because he is unaware of who he really is and he does not deserve to be condemned because of that." 

"How positive are you that _this_ is not the real Jared? That the man you've come to know for the past five years was not just one of his many personas'?" 

Jensen swallowed hard. "Because I know him. I've seen him wake in the morning, go to bed at night. I've seen him laugh and cry. I've heard him sing when he's drunk, and debate when he's stone sober and I'm telling you know that the man who walked the earth as Jared Padalecki for these last few months walked it in a manner that Jared would never do, because he had no idea on who he was." 

Samantha squeezed Jared's hand and then stood up. "I'll make sure he gets released into your care, Jensen. I will also speak to the DA in regards to a possible deal, but know this, Jensen, if we find out that at any stage during the time when Jared was with Penikett and he knew who he was and he killed someone, I will personally make sure he gets prosecuted within an inch of his life." 

Jensen knew he could take her on. Demand answers about what had happened when he first wanted to take Penikett down, but he also knew which battles to fight and which to let go and this was one battle he had to claim defeat. "Thank you." 

"Good. I've got other battles to fight." Samantha turned and faced Jeffrey for the first time. "Keep them safe, JD." She nodded her head at Jim and together they walked out.

"She's still angry with you I take it?" Jensen smirked. 

"It seems that way, at least she's talking to me. The last time she saw me she threw a butcher’s knife at me.." Jeffrey grinned. "That was a few years back." 

"Only you would find something like that funny." Jensen sighed and kissed Jared's hand. "He's coming home, Jeff." 

Jeff nodded his head but remained silent. He didn't have to tell Jensen about the uphill battle that they faced. Jared still didn't know anyone of them. He still believed himself to be a criminal and he had no idea on how Jensen had planned on not only gaining Jared's trust, but to also get the man to remember his past. To remember that he is one of the good guys, but more importantly that he was the second part of a half that made Jensen whole.

[ ](http://imgur.com/GEuPtnq)

**Private HQ - 3 Weeks later**

Jensen smiled as he saw Jared seated with a photo album on his lap. He really needed to remember to buy Danneel and Genevieve extra huge Christmas gifts this year. If it wasn't for the two of them and their amazing idea, he didn't believe that Jared would've come so far in such a short period of time. He did, however grimace when he noticed the tracking device that decorated Jared's ankle. It was the one thing that made Jensen realized that Jared was still not totally free. "Leave it be, you know it won't come off." He smiled as Jared immediately snatched his hand away from where he was fingering the offending device. 

"Sorry," Jared lowered his head as he folded his hands in front of him, the thin blanket still wrapped around his shoulders as the shivers kept on wrecking his body from the drugs working through his system. 

Immediately the smile disappeared from Jensen's face as he realized that Jared thought he was angry with him. For a moment he'd forgotten that Jared was still not himself and wanted to kick himself. He sighed and then took the seat next to Jared, sitting close, but yet not touching the other man. It was one of the huge differences between the old Jared and the new one. The old Jared would've wanted Jensen right next to him, the new one did not like being touched and he never reached out to touch anyone out of his own. It made things especially awkward for Genevieve and Danneel. "I'm not angry with you, Jared." 

Jared refused to answer, but kept his eyes lowered to the book on his lap. It'd been a few strenuous weeks. Not only had he no control over his emotions, but he had no idea on how to deal with the people that constantly shared his space. He quickly realized that he would not be able to escape. He'd seen every member of the team carrying some or other weapon, and the tracker around his ankle pinged the moment he tried to step out of the building. That lesson he'd learned the hard way after he finally managed to sneak out about a week of staying here, only to have two weapons drawn on him when he rounded the corner and came face to face with a seething Morgan and Kane. Both had made it clear that if he tried to escape again they wouldn't hesitate in shooting him, and they both made sure he knew they would not kill him, but would make sure he would not walk for the foreseeable future. He had no idea on how to deal with the lingering looks that they all shared with one another, or the way they would talk to him as if they'd known him for all his life. 

He didn't care that they indeed knew him for five years and that they regarded him as family. He knew nothing of them. He didn't want anything to do with them, he just wanted to be left alone. But, the man called Ackles, or as he preferred, Jensen, just didn't seem to get the message. It didn't matter what Jared tried, Jensen always remained calm, always there to help him through the vicious cramps he suffered from, or when he couldn't stop vomiting. He was the one who made sure Jared took the medication that was supposed to help with the withdrawal, he was the one who wiped Jared down when the fever racked his frame or who would show up with the tallest glass of water imaginable just just as Jared thought he was going to die from thirst. 

"Who says I'm not angry with you?" He snapped as he closed the book and wrapped the blanket tighter around him. 

"I'll understand, you've got the right to be angry with me. I did let you down." Jensen's voice ended up muffled as he lowered his head into his hands. 

The tiny action made Jared furious and he roared in anger, slamming the thick book hard against the table, making Jensen jump and he could hear footsteps coming their way, a clear indication that one of the others were coming up to see that Jared caused Jensen no harm. "Just fuck off, I don't care! I don't remember, so stop playing the blaming game, I just don't care!" Jared shouted at the top of his voice before he shoved Jensen hard, not even caring that Jensen overbalanced and landed hard on the floor. He wanted to do nothing than to get out and run, never looking back, but it was Morgan who came running up the stairs so Jared turned to the right and headed down the hall, finding the room he was sleeping in and slamming the door shut. It could not be locked, but hopefully it would keep them out for just a while. He knew he was acting like a spoiled brat, but things were getting to be too much and he had no idea on what to do or how to handle things. He needed a fix, just one. Jared started to pace the floor, his body shivering with a need that he could not fill. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/GEuPtnq)

"Jeff," Jensen called out to his friend as he saw the older man heading after Jared. "Leave him be for a moment." 

"He attacked you." Jeffrey growled. He was tired of Jared's sullen attitude towards them. They’d gone out of their way to help him settle in, but all that he's done was to growl at them, never happy with anything. 

Jensen shook his head as he got to his feet. "He didn't attack me to injure me. He's just frustrated, Jeff. It must be so difficult for him. We're all strangers and he's a prisoner here. It's no wonder he's climbing the walls." 

"Stop making excuses for him, Jensen. He's not the only one here suffering. We're all frustrated. It's difficult for all of us. To see him walking around here, but knowing it's not _our_ Jared, it's taking its toll, Jensen. We want to help him, but at this stage he's nearly making it impossible to do that. He needs to realize that it's not only him that's having a difficult time. The rest of us are suffering as well." 

Jensen bowed his head and lowered his tired body to the couch. He sighed deeply before he finally responded. "You're right, Jeff. We are all suffering, but there's one difference that you're failing to see and I'm asking you to take a step back and realize it. We've got one another and we know it. We also got Jared, but he doesn't know that. For him, he's all alone and he's got no idea of what to do next, or who to trust. I can't tell you how maddening it is not to be able to touch him, not to tell him that I love him, not to make love to him, but I can't do that - not now. Not until he realizes that he's one of us; that we have his back. And for that to happen, we need to be patient. We need to show him we're a family and that we love him. We need to make sure he realizes that he's not that cold blooded murder the FBI wants him to be or that hired muscle who likes to shoot up whenever he gets the opportunity to do just that. If we want _our_ Jared back we need to show him just how much he means to us, just how much we love him."

It was Jeff's turn to bow his head. "You're right; we've got a duty on all of us to help him. I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about, just help me get him back." Jensen pleaded.

Jeff nodded his head and hugged Jensen close. "I'll help."

None of the two men saw the figure that crept back into the room it came from or heard when Jared slid down the wall as tears run freely down his face. Jared couldn't believe what he heard. Jensen loved him; they had been in a relationship. He had a hard time digesting the news. For the first time since he woke up in the hospital, he wondered who he really was and he found out that he did care. He didn't want to be a murderer or a junkie. He wanted to be something more. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

**Private HQ - 7 Weeks later**

Jared paced the floor, while Jensen sat staring at the wall. He was flanked by Christian and Steve, while Misha kept an eye on Jared. The atmosphere in the room was tense. Abruptly Jared stopped and turned towards Jensen. “You wore a clown costume to a Halloween party. I hate clowns, I hate Halloween even more.” 

Jensen’s eyes grew large at the admission. “You remember that?” He got to his feet, closing the gap between them quickly, but then stopped short, wanting to embrace Jared, but then realized that it would not be appreciated. 

“I dreamt about it, last night.” Jared met Jensen’s gaze. “I’ve been dreaming a lot.” He didn’t add that he was indeed remembering more, he still felt unsure about everything. 

Jensen grinned and his eyes sparkled as the corners of Jared’s mouth lifted into a small smile as well. “It’s good news.” He turned serious again. “What else do you dream about?” 

Jared shut down. He didn’t want to talk about his dreams. Already he felt uncomfortable with the fact that he revealed too much. He shook his head. “Nothing.” He turned and resumed his pacing.

Jensen’s shoulders slumped in defeat as he walked back to take his seat but then stopped short. “No,” he turned to face Jared. “I’m not letting you shut me out any longer. It’s time you faced the truth. It’s time to stop hiding behind that which _you_ think is true. It’s time you realized who you really are.” 

Misha reached out to stop Jensen, but Jensen shrugged off the hand on his shoulder and walked back to where Jared stood staring at him. “Talk to me. I can help.” 

Jared snorted and rolled his eyes. He didn’t even have to look over Jensen’s shoulder to know that the growls he heard came from all of the other men in the room. “I’m not the one hiding, Ackles. You are. You still believe that everything will work out. It will never be the same. You’re the one still clinging to the idea of getting the old me back. But that person is never coming back, Ackles.” Jared pressed his hand against his chest. “I’m here, standing right in front of you; this is who I am now, this is me and nothing you can say or do is going to change it. Stop thinking that reminding me of things we did together will spark something inside of me that will magically restore everything to what it was before, it will not happen.” 

“He’s right.” Steve spoke up first. “We’ve all been trying to get him to remember the past, to remember us, but things have changed. None of us are the same as we were ten months ago, how can we expect Jared not to have changed?” 

“He hasn’t changed. He’s suffering from amnesia.” Jensen was frustrated. 

“He has changed.” Jeff came to his feet. “I’ll be the first to admit that this is difficult for me to accept, but it’s true. Jared’s not the same man he was when he walked out of here to go undercover for Penikett. You know that every mission you went on as a SEAL changed you. Sometimes in small ways, and we’ve all adapted to that changes, but here we are indeed clinging to the past. We’re not giving Jared the right to change because we want to keep him the same.” 

Jared was surprised to hear both Kane and Morgan speaking up, agreeing to what he’s been trying to tell them. He was a bit upset that they continued to talk as if he wasn’t present, but before he could voice his objection, Jensen nodded his head and sighed. “I’m sorry. You’re right. All of you are right. I’ve been clinging onto the past.” He reached out and placed a hand on Jared’s shoulder. “I only want what is best for you, Jay and nothing more.” 

Jared could only nod his head. “I know, I’ve seen what you’ve done for me and I am grateful. I know I’ve been a real jerk, but I can’t live up to your expectations if I don’t even know my own.” He looked at the men around him. The past couple of weeks he had come to realize just how close this bunch of people were. They did try and help him, they still tried to help him. Even now where he waited to hear if the DA would accept the deal he made with them, they were all here for him, or for Jared. He was not sure of who he was, but they believed in Jared and they would do anything for him. 

It was Misha, who broke the silence. “You’ve always been a jerk, at least that has not changed.” He smiled as Jeff flicked him on the ear. “What, it’s the truth.” 

“I thought you were the jerk?” Jared asked quietly and looked on as everyone burst out laughing. 

“He’s got you there, Misha.” Jensen smiled as he turned to look at Misha’s stunned expression. 

“It seems you are remembering more.” Misha locked eyes with Jared. “If you remember anything about me wearing a blond wig, it’s your imagination; just ignore it.” 

Jared frowned and was about to ask when Jensen’s phone rang and the tension that seeped from the room was back in full force. “I think you need to answer that.” He said as Jensen continued to stare at the ringing phone in his hand. 

Jensen finally answered the phone and spoke in monosyllabic sentences. He sighed and dragged his hand through his hair and then ended the call. He placed the phone on the coffee table and covered his face with his hands.

“Jen?” Chris asked in concern, but received no response. 

Jared was beginning to worry and for a moment he thought of making a run for it. He didn’t want to go to jail and if the DA didn’t accept the deal the possibility of him going to jail for the rest of his natural life was very high indeed. “Ackles?” He finally found his own voice as he stepped forward. “What did Beaver have to say?” 

Jensen couldn’t explain the dread he felt when he had to answer the call. Everything they’ve done for the last month and a half since Jared got out of hospital rode on this one call. Luckily for him Jim knew him well and the older man would forgive him easily for his unfriendly behavior while he spoke over the phone. But now it was done, the end was in sight. They could now move on. He could tell Jared how he felt about him, take Jared on a date, show Jared that they belonged together. Finally, he raised his head and looked surprised when he found Jared on his knees in front of him. Worry was edged onto Jared’s features. 

“You’re scaring me.” Both men were surprised at Jared’s choice of words, but Jensen recovered first and placed his hands on Jared’s shoulders. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” He smiled. “They’ve accepted the deal. You’ll receive full immunity for your testimony against Penikett and Pellegrino.” 

“Seriously?” Jared couldn’t help but to ask, even after he heard Jensen’s words. 

“Seriously.” Jensen grinned, “There’s more.” He reached for the ever present knife that was sheathed to his left forearm and pushed Jared back so that he could reach his ankle. “This no longer needs to be attached to you.” With a single motion he slashed through the heavy duty band and threw it to the side. “You’re no longer deemed to be a flight risk.” 

Jared couldn’t believe it. He was a free man, or at least as free as one could be with no history of yourself. “Does it mean I don’t have to stay cropped up here, I can go and no one will stop me?” He didn’t see the look of devastation that crossed Jensen’s face as he uttered the words. 

“Yes, you’re free to leave. The DA just needs to know where to get hold of you, that’s all.” Jensen had no idea on how he got to his feet or how he managed to walk the length of the room to the stairs. “Misha will show you out. You may leave whenever you ready.” He didn’t look back just descended the stairs, looking for something to drink. 

“You selfish son of a bitch.” Christian roared as he pulled Jared to his feet and slammed him into the wall. “After everything that man has done for you, the first thing you can think of is to get out of here. You really did change, Jared. You’ve become one hell of a bastard.” Christian let go and stalked off wanting to see if he could catch up with his friend, knowing that should Jensen start to drink he would not stop soon. 

Jared had no idea of what had happened. He didn’t understand why Jensen had left the room in a hurry, and even when Kane slammed him hard into the wall, he failed to react. “What?” He finally started to ask. 

“Save it.” Steve sneered and Jeff only shook his head before both men made their way down the stairs as well. 

Misha was the only one that remained behind and he was seething. He never expected Jared to act so callous. “I’ll drop you off at the nearest bus depot, be ready in an hour.” He turned and walked away not noticing the pain that crossed Jared’s face before the young man slid to the floor, at a total loss as to what just transpired. 

He had only wanted to go out and get some fresh air, not wanting someone to shadow him the whole time; maybe even go for a long run. Nothing more. Jared leaned back against the wall as he realized that they took his words of him wanting to leave and never come back. He knew he could go and explain, but he had a feeling none of them would understand. He got to his feet and went to his room to collect the few pieces of clothes he possessed. There was nothing else. He didn’t even own a cell phone. He saw the picture frame that stood to the side. It was one of him and Jensen smiling at one another. Jensen had given it to him shortly after he told Jared that they had been in a relationship. Jared had come to love that photo. He gently removed it from the frame and folded it up, putting it in his back pocket before picking up his bag and leaving the room. He didn’t wait for Misha, but descended to the lower floor and made his way out of the back door and started to walk, not once looking back. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/GEuPtnq)

"So let me get this straight. Since Jared asked if he was free to go without being followed the bunch of you decided that he didn't want to stay here anymore and all but threw him out on the street?" Danneel was nearly whispering the words as she glared at the men around her. Neither she nor Genevieve could believe what had transpired while they were gone. To realize that Jared had walked out and no one knew where he’d gone to was bad enough, but then to hear what the others had said and done made her blood boil. 

"That's not what he said." Misha was still fuming. 

"You're right, I didn't quote him correctly. According to you, Jared said, and this time I am quoting him directly, _"Does it mean I don't have to stay cropped up here, I can go and no one will stop me?"_ , that was his words, right?" She didn't wait for any confirmation but just continued on. "Let's think about this for a second. He's been stuck in this place for the last ten weeks. Not only struggling to get clean of a vicious addiction, but he also had no idea of who he is. He had to wear a tracking device that he couldn't even take off when he went for a shower or when he went to bed. All of you carried weapons openly and growled at him if he even looked at a door and the moment he got a little good news of having a bit of freedom you all decided that he wants to leave and never come back? Ever thought of it that he just wanted to get a bit of fresh air? To be free of this four walls for a moment or two. Just how stupid can you be?” 

"If he wanted to stay he didn't have to leave." Steve spoke up. 

Genevieve sighed, making her own presence know. "And Jensen did not tell him that Misha would show him out and Misha did not tell him he would drop him off at the nearest bus station and did I forget to mention - according to Christian he slammed him into the wall and told him just how selfish he was. Yes, you're right, Steve, he could've stayed. He was so welcome to do just that." 

"I fucked up." Jensen's voice sounded from the door and they turned to look at him. He looked terrible. He appeared unkempt, he reeked of alcohol and his eyes red from all the tears he'd shed. 

"Yes, you did. All of you did." Danneel walked over to Jensen and pressed a mug of black coffee into his hands. "And now you have to fix it and I hope you can, because we only got him back and now he's missing - again."

"You're not the only one, Jensen, we all did." Jeff pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against. "We'll get him back." 

"We've got bigger problems." Jim spoke up as he entered the room. He had come over when Jeff called him and told him Jared had left. "Pellegrino was spotted at the airport, it seems like he's back in town." He cleared his throat before he continued. “Word on the street is that there’s a price on Jared’s head as well. Pellegrino is offering six figures.” 

The mug dropped from Jensen's hands as he turned a pale white at the news. "We have to find him. Every thug on the street will be out looking for him." He turned to head out to the door, but got stopped by Misha's hand on his arm. 

"Easy, we'll get him." He didn't give Jensen time to object, but guided him around the stained floor and the broken pieces of the mug that scattered the floor and made him sit at one of the desks. "Where would he go?"

"I don't know." Jensen shook his head. 

"No, you would know. You know him the best." Misha had a feeling that Jensen would be the one that would figure out where Jared would be. 

"I don't know him anymore, Misha. You all told me how much he's changed; I've seen how much he's changed. How do you expect me to find him now, he's not the same person anymore?" 

Misha wanted to yell out of frustration, but instead he took Jensen by the shoulders and shook him hard. "He is also starting to remember, and I have a feeling he's remembering more than just silly Halloween costumes or that he hates clowns. The last few days he kept on looking through those photo albums. He wouldn't have done that if he didn't want to know more. He was too afraid to ask, but he found answers in those photos, so where would he go?" 

Jensen realized that Misha was right. He'd seen the time Jared had spent paging through those books. He'd seen the times Jared stared at a photo before finally turning the page and staring at it again. He'd also seen Jared staring at the picture taken of them smiling and then he remembered. “The old carnival grounds.” He sighed when the rest of the team looked up at him confused. “The photo Jared took, it was taken at the old carnival grounds. When I first showed him the photo he wanted to know where it was taken and I explained to him. He told me that he slept there for a few nights after he got out of the river and moved around between different jobs. There are plenty of places to hide and stay dry and he knows the place. He would feel safe there.” 

“He was supposed to feel safe here.” Genevieve spoke up and shook her head. “You better get him back before Pellegrino finds him.” 

No one could argue with that statement. “Let’s go.” 

“I’ll send some extra units around, instruct them to be on the lookout, give out Jared’s description.” Jim spoke up. 

“No. If Pellegrino hears about this, it will make it easier for him to find him. We’ll have to do it ourselves.”

No other words were spoken between the team as they readied themselves for the search. More than once they all found themselves looking at the darkened sky outside as a storm approached fast. It was going to make things difficult. 

“Jensen,” Jim pulled the lead man closer to him. “Let me know when you find him.” 

“I will.” Jensen slipped on the last of his weapons and headed to the door. It was time to get Jared back, but it was also time to show Jared that he could depend on them. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

Jared sighed as he finally spotted the place he was looking for. It had taken him longer to get from the warehouse to the abandoned carnival grounds as he had no money on him and had to walk the distance of approximately twenty five miles.

His mind still raced about what happened earlier. He couldn't believe that things had gone so far south in such short amount of time. He only wanted to get some air, and now, by the look of things he got more than just the air he was looking for. Once again he found himself to be totally alone.

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

Pellegrino glared at the men standing before him. Although he was on the FBI’s wanted list, they had done him a favor by taking down Penikett. It was the opportunity he was looking for and with a few well-placed calls he came back and even though he had to stay hidden, he had a lucrative business that he now could run without interference. Well, except one problem, but this time he was going to make sure that the problem was taken care of permanently. 

“Any word?” He asked one of the goons, not even trying to remember the man’s name. 

“Nothing yet, Mister Pellegrino. But we’ll hear something soon. No one stays hidden in this city without us knowing about it.” The man sounded confident. 

Pellegrino shook his head. “Really? Then do pray tell, how this _pig_ stayed alive after he was dumped into the river and not one word was spoken about it.” 

The man looked down at his shoes. “Dead men don’t talk.” He ventured an answer and groaned as the fist aimed at his midriff connected hard, but managed to stay on his feet. 

“Don’t be a smart ass, and he wasn't dead, now was he? It’s clear that you don’t know everything, but I’m willing to give you a final chance. Find him, find out where he is and let me know. I want him, and I want him by the latest tomorrow or I will personally take the pleasure in skinning you alive. You do know I do not make empty promises.” He didn’t need to elaborate any further, the body of the man he has killed only half an hour before still in the corner of the room. “Clear that up and get me some information.” He barked out the order and then left the room.

His phone started ringing and he placed it against his ear. “What!” As he listened a grin formed on his face. “I’ll check it out myself.” He didn’t bother to call any of the men he had with him, if the information he had was correct, he would be personally responsible for Jared’s death and if it turns out to be nothing yet again, then at least he’d be able to kill yet another useless informant. Either way it would not be a total loss. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/GEuPtnq)

By the time Jensen and the team arrived at the abandoned grounds the weather had turned for the worse and torrential rain covered the earth. Chris and Steve paired up, while Misha went with Jeffrey and Jensen took a section of the perimeter for himself. Soon he lost sight of the other men as they worked through the condemned buildings. He couldn’t help but shiver at the sight that greeted him when he entered one of the smaller buildings. The floor was decorated with different kinds of drug paraphernalia. Used condoms and empty beer bottles littered the area and the stench was bad enough to make him gag. He moved slowly through the filth, opening one door after the other, finding it early still and empty. 

The first building empty, Jensen made his way to the next. This one was a bit cleaner of filth, but still the floor was covered in a thick layer of grime and dust. It also revealed one set of footprints heading in and going deeper into the building and Jensen knew that Jared came through here. He didn’t want to scare Jared away, so he decided not to call out, but made his way slowly through the place, again checking out every room, nook and cranny before moving along. 

Jensen heard someone moving in the next room as he silently approached the door. He readied his weapon and slowly walked closer. He was about to touch the door when it flew open and it caught him on the nose, sending him backwards, making him lose his footing and falling down. He managed to hold onto his weapon and as he pointed it up, his eyes landed on Jared, and he knew he was going to have to run as Jared took one look at him, took in the fact that he had a weapon drawn and pointed at him, and then started to run. 

“Jared!” Jensen called out, still struggling to get to his feet. His nose was bleeding, his eyes filled with tears after the solid hit he received and it was with effort that he finally managed to chase after the man he came looking for. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

Jared had finally managed to find a room that was not too bad to stay in. He could’ve picked any one, but he didn’t want to touch the stuff lying around. He couldn’t risk cutting or sticking himself with something, not if he wanted to get away from all of this and just start afresh. That was until the door he closed behind him was stuck and he had to use force to get it to open. He was already irritated with the fact that the door opened to the outside, so when he pushed forward and it flung open he had no idea on what to do when it struck something on the other side. He looked on at the falling man, wanting to apologize and to help as he thought it would be one of the many homeless people littering the place when he saw the pistol and then realized it was Ackles. 

It didn’t take him more than a few seconds to take everything in before he turned on his heels and started to run. He had no idea why Ackles was there or why he was aiming a weapon at him, but he wasn’t going to stay to find out. He had to get away. Jared knew that if Ackles was there, the rest of the team would be there too. It would make things more difficult to get away, but thankfully the rain would hinder them in finding him. 

He was aware of Ackles calling out to him, but he didn’t stop. Something inside of him made him want to run and run hard he did. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

Pellegrino cursed as he turned down the road and saw the black SUV parked to the side. When he started looking for Jared after Penikett was taken down, he had realized that a small team was responsible for Jared’s disappearance from Penikett’s home and as he fled he made sure he got all the information he could on the team. It did come as a surprise when he heard that the leader, a man by the name of Jensen Ackles, a retired SEAL, was in a relationship with Jared. It was also then that he finally heard about the real identity of Jared - Jared Tristan Padalecki. The man was an enigma, one that he totally underestimated, but not again. He had received information that Jensen left no stone unturned in his attempts to find Jared and that he would do anything in his power to keep Jared safe. 

From the photos shown to him, Ackles seemed to be a very attractive man and Pellegrino would’ve lied to himself if he didn’t admit that his cock did take notice as well. 

To say that he was surprised to learn earlier from his contact in the FBI that Jared had seemed to disappear on Jensen, again, would be an understatement and he had hoped to be able to find Jared before anyone else did, especially Jensen Ackles. But that seemed now not to be and he had to make the best of a bad situation. He readied himself and then made sure to park his own vehicle out of side before he made his way through the heavy downpour to inside the yard. He had no idea on where to start and had to tread carefully. He didn’t want to lose his own life out here, he only came here to claim one. 

Pellegrino was about to enter a building when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. The rain made it difficult to see clearly, but from the figure’s built he was sure it was Jared. “Got you.” He smirked and was about to follow when someone called out and he had to hide out of sight. It looked like Ackles that chased after Jared and he watched as both men disappeared into the rain again. Making sure that no one came out after them, he finally followed behind. As he ran through the rain he noticed two buildings emerge in front of him. He had no idea on which one they’ve entered and the rain made it impossible to see any footprints on the ground. Just then the wind picked up and the door to the building on the left swung open before slamming shut again. The other door remained closed so Pellegrino made his way to the building on the left. 

When he reached the door, he tried to listen, but the noise of the thunder and wind made it nearly impossible to hear anything so he took the chance and went in. He made sure the door closed softly behind him and listened intently before he moved forward. The trail of water droplets was easy to follow and he quickly moved on. As he went deeper into the building he finally could hear people talking, the voices sounded out of breath. He crept closer, making sure he was not seen as he took in the scene before him. Jared was facing in his direction while Ackles’ back was to him. He looked on as Ackles slowly bent down and placed his weapon on the floor. Pellegrino wanted to growl, as Ackles even kicked the pistol towards Jared. Never do you surrender your weapon. You’d rather die by it than die without it. Even though Jared didn’t pick it up, he was now sure that Ackles was a fool and just like Jared he deserved to die. Finding a perfect spot he made his way over to it and got ready to take the first shot. It was time he finally got rid of that infuriating Jared. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/GEuPtnq)

Jensen held out his hands as he lowered his weapon and placed it on the ground. He trusted Jared with his life and knew that Jared saw him as a threat; that was the one thing he didn’t want to be. “Please, let me explain. I fucked up.” He wiped the blood that continued to drip from his nose. 

“There’s nothing to explain. You told me I was free to go and I left. Now you’re chasing after me, pointing a firearm at me and you want me to stand still and listen. I’m not a fool, Ackles.” Jared eyed the weapon. It was closer to him than what it was to Jensen and he was certain that he could get to it first if the need arose. He had no idea what was going on and he had no intention to find out either. 

“So you wanted to leave?” Jensen couldn’t help asking. 

“Leave?” Jared shook his head. “I wanted to be able to go for a run without anyone looking at me as if I was about to make a run for it, but the moment that I asked if that was possible, you stormed off, making sure that I know that I’m not welcome and Kane made sure that I understood just perfectly how all of you felt about it.” He shook his head. “You all kept on telling me we’re family; that we stick together. How hard you looked for me, but then the very next moment I’m practically thrown out on my ear and now you want me to listen to you while you point at me with a gun. Just how stupid do you think I am?!” He was so frustrated, tired and hungry. He didn’t want to stand here and argue. He wanted to curl up and just forget about the world around him. For the first time in many weeks, Jared wished he could get high. 

Jensen lowered his hands and his shoulders slumped forward. “You’re not stupid. I am the one who fucked up royally. You don’t need to listen to me, but I’m begging you to. When you asked if you could go and that no one would stop you, I thought you wanted to leave and I didn’t hear what you really said. It’s my fault, and I’m sorry. I know the others feel the same. Please, come back.” 

Jared cocked his head. “Why the pistol? I assume the rest of your team is also running around here armed.” 

“Pellegrino, he’s back in town. He put a hit out on you. We had to find you, we had to make sure you’re safe.” 

“Would you have come looking for me if it wasn’t for Pellegrino?” Jared asked. 

“Yes.” Jensen’s answer was quick and sure. 

“I don’t know. It’s all so confusing. I thought that maybe I had a place, but just like that it was pulled from underneath me. Surely it can happen again.” Jared frowned as he saw movement behind Jensen’s shoulder and looked intently at the spot. Seeing nothing he let it slide. 

“I can only promise that I will listen to what you say and will not jump to any conclusion before we’ve not talked it through. I need you to come with me, there are still so many things that we need to sort out, please until Pellegrino is out of the picture, you’re not safe.” 

Jared was about to answer when he saw the movement again. This time it was clear and he acted in an instant. Even as he heard the shot he was moving, he had no idea if he'd ever be in time but he couldn't let Jensen die. He'd seen the shooter clearly and remembered that Pellegrino was an excellent shot. He rammed into Jensen sending them both to the floor and in the direction of the pistol Jensen had placed on the ground. He felt the burning sensation high up in his chest, but he took no note. He had to get to Ackles' weapon before Pellegrino could fire again. Luckily the way he took them to the floor made the angle at which Pellegrino fired more difficult and the shooter would have to move before taking another shot. 

As his hand curled around the handle he was already in motion again, turning his body and firing at the same time. Something slammed into him, and he could feel the air leaving his body, but he looked up in satisfaction as Pellegrino slumped forward and landed hard on his face. By the way he stayed down; Jared knew he wouldn't get up again. Only then did he turn his attention to Ackles. Since he'd taken them to the ground the other man has not stirred and for a moment he feared that Jensen was hit.

"Ackles," he ran his hand over Jensen's body, shivering in relief as he found no wound, only a bump at the back of his head where Jensen's head hit the floor as he took them down. "Wake up," he tried to get Jensen to open his eyes, but the man stubbornly refused to regain consciousness. Jared gasped as he moved too fast and pain shot through his chest. As he looked down he noticed the red staining his shirt and finally his brain caught up with the pain just as Steve and Chris entered the room weapons drawn, pointing at him and shouting for him to drop the pistol. He should’ve known, they still didn’t trust him. He frowned. It sounded to him as if they were talking under water. He was sure that they had to repeat the order to drop the weapon, before he finally figured out how to let go. Even as the weapon slipped from his hand his eyes rolled back and he fell to the floor himself, reality disappeared into a very dark tunnel. He never noticed that Jensen had finally opened his eyes or heard Steve's frantic call for medics as he saw the blood covering Jared's shirt and realized what had happened. He didn't see how Misha, Chris and Steve worked frantically on him to stop the bleeding while they waited for an ambulance, or how Jeffrey held on to Jensen, trying to calm him down while the life seeped from his body, staining the hands that hold onto him and the floor beneath him to a dark red.


	6. Chapter 6

**Epilogue**

[ ](http://imgur.com/Hij7KPg)

**4 Months Later**

Jensen smiled as he jogged up the driveway and saw their young German Shepherd pup, Knight seated on the front porch waiting patiently for him to return. The young pup loved playing around, but Jensen could never convince him to accompany him on his morning runs. Instead, he would snuggle deeper against Jared side, even though he was starting to get too big for their bed and would only get up once Jared got up and started moving about. The fact that the pup was seated on the porch meant Jared had to be out and about as well. He spotted the other man as he took the stairs and saw Jared curled up under a thick blanket waiting for him on the swing bench.

"This looks cozy." He hunkered down to give Knight a good pat before he made his way over to Jared and slid in beside him. "Morning," he leaned in and shared a lingering kiss with the man next to him. He raised an eyebrow as he noticed a file on Jared's lap. It was Jared's own personal file, one that he normally kept locked in the safe. 

"Doing some light reading?" He asked as he pulled the file from Jared's fingers and paged through it himself. 

"Something like that." Jared spoke up for the first time. His hand lingered over his chest and when Jensen took his hand and covered it with his own he smiled. "I've come to a decision and I think it's time we talked." He hissed as Knight decided to join them by jumping on top of them, but made no move to remove him from his lap. 

"You know one of these day's he's going to be too big to fit in your lap." Jensen noted as he scratched the pup's ears. 

"He'll settle next to me." A soft smile appeared on Jared's face. "I think he might start joining you on your morning runs. He put up quite the racket this morning after you left."

"Seriously? Are you telling me he's actually not going to become a couch potato like you?" Jensen grinned when Jared aimed a swat at him. "We'll see if lazy bones here wants to come with tomorrow morning." 

Jared smiled. "I want to come tomorrow as well."

"Think you're up for it? The docs said you should take it easy." 

"I think it's time. I'm really becoming a couch potato, and I can't afford that. Not if I what I've got planned works out." He looked at the file Jensen held in his hands. "I'm resigning." 

Jensen had to school his features when Jared spoke up. He had known that there was a possibility that Jared might resign, but to think about it and to actually hear the words were totally two different things. He also knew that he could not fault Jared for this decision. Jared has been through hell and that's not even taking the last four months into account. Jensen mentally kicked himself for thinking about the past few months, but it couldn't be helped. 

_He himself had suffered only from a slight concussion and some bruised ribs after Jared had tackled him to the floor, took two bullets while shooting Pellegrino with a perfect shot through the head. Due to the storm, Jared nearly bled out. In the end they had to drive him out to the nearest trauma center themselves as it took too long for the ambulance to get through to them. Jared's heart stopped twice. On both occasions Misha had managed to get it to beat again. Jensen only later found out about the other complications Jared suffered._

_Jared was immediately rushed into surgery where they received no news on his condition for more than eight hours before a surgeon finally came out to talk to them. He did not believe that Jared would make it through the next twenty-four hours. If it wasn't for the fact that at that time Jensen was high on pain medication for his killer headache and wasn't even able to stand on his own two feet without help, he would've knocked the doctor out. Lucky for him, his team felt the same and they told the doctor that Jared would make it and Jared did._

_It took almost three weeks before Jared finally opened his eyes for the first time after being in a coma and another three before he was finally released from the hospital. During that whole time Jensen stayed at his side, only absent when he was kicked out of the room when Jared was examined or when Misha forced him to go home for a few hours at a time._

_The first bullet hit him very high on the right side of his chest, just below his collarbone. The bullet caused a lot of damage, including Jared losing about twenty percent mobility in the arm. He wasn't able to re-qualify for fieldwork due to the injury. The second entry wound caused an open pneumothorax, which after Misha had managed to seal the wound, trapped more air into the cavity which lead to more complications._

_Because Jared was still recovering from his addiction it made things difficult when it came to prescribing medication for the pain. He could have nothing harder than Tylenol, which did little to mitigate his agonizing pain. The lung that collapsed even after four months was not one hundred percent. And that was only his physical injuries. He was diagnosed with PTSD, causing him severe emotional stress and mood swings, including depression and tension headaches. His amnesia was permanent, his past totally gone except for a snippet or two._

_Jared was assigned a therapy dog and it worked so well that Jensen bought the German Shepherd pup for Jared and when Jared named him Knight, he really was a knight in shining armor. It was also Knight who helped to mend the fences between Jared and the rest of the team by accepting them as part of his pack, showing Jared that they could be trusted._

Jensen nodded his head. "It's not easy to hear, but you've got to do what's best for you." 

Jared leaned against Jensen before he spoke up again. "Samantha offered me a position at Quantico. I've decided to take her up on the offer." 

"You mean she's trying to worm herself back into our good books." His voice was filled with venom. The last four months many truths came to the front, including the fact that some of the top spots filled within the FBI were in Penikett's pockets. When Penikett realized that Jared was going to testify against him and spill all the beans, he made a deal with the DA himself. He named and shamed four deputy directors in the FBI alone, two Senators and a couple of high profile public figures. It had nearly brought the whole Oval Office to a halt. It also then made sense of why Jared was targeted, they wanted to get him out of the picture, as they thought Jared was only an undercover cop, but since Jensen's team was highly classified they didn't know about it and hence couldn't foresee that Jared had someone that covered his back. Jensen knew Samantha had nothing to do with any of the happenings, but it still happened under her watch. They were all surprised when she'd managed to stay in her current position. 

Jared shrugged. "I know it's going to take a while for you to trust her, but she's trying." 

"Tell me more about the job." Jensen steered Jared away from the topic of Samantha Ferris. 

"Teaching job to train the new FBI recruits and also the new police cadets in undercover work." Jared reached for the file Jensen had in his hand. "That's why I was looking at this." He sighed. "I still can't remember how we first met or how I came to realize what your favorite color is, but I can still predict on how people will react and what to do in any given situation. Since I will not be able to go undercover again, I can use my skill to help those who will go and place their lives at risk to help our country." 

Jared's words pained Jensen's heart. It has been a difficult journey for them, one that brought them even closer than what they were before, but to know that there were certain things that Jared would never remember was still a very tender spot in their relationship. The snippets Jared could remember they treasured like gold. "Does it mean I get to call you Professor?" He smirked as Jared's fist hit him on the side of the arm. 

"Ass." There was a spark in Jared's eyes. "Only if I get to ride you hard." 

Jensen groaned at Jared's words. "Want to go and practice now?" He leaned in and kissed Jared hard, not even waiting for an answer. 

"Lead the way," Jared managed to reply between kisses that threatened to take his breath away, while his cock throbbed with anticipation of what was about to come. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/P2LxsM8)

**1 Month Later - Quantico**

The buzz of the large lecture hall settled down the moment the tall man with the platinum blond hair walked in and stood behind the podium. He smiled as the men and women before him turned their full attention towards him. 

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen." He greeted them heartily and opened the thin file he brought with him. "Let's start." He looked up, locked eyes with a figure sitting right at the back of the room and then started addressing the students on serial killers.

He kept their attention for a whole fifty minutes, delving into the mind of a serial killer, giving them examples on the different kinds of killers before ending the lecture with answering questions. "It's time that this lecture comes to an end. You'll see on the board behind me the required work you'll have to complete and hand in. I thank you for your participation in keeping this discussion so lively. Director Ferris also wants a word with you, so I'll leave you in her hands until we meet again."

The lecturer shook hands with the Director and then exited the hall just as Samantha greeted the group of people seated before her. He smiled as the door closed behind him just as she asked them who the person was who conducted the class. He wondered what their responses would be. It was going to be an interesting year. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/GEuPtnq)

Jensen nipped at Jared's collarbone, before his tongue found the pink scar and he lapped gently at the spot. He grinned against the skin as Jared shivered and he pressed his hardened body down, so that Jared could feel every inch of him. 

"Fuck, never thought it would be so sensitive." Jared gasped as Jensen licked over the scar again, his toes curling while his cock leaked freely. "Don't think you must do that again. I'm about to shoot and your cock is still not in me." 

Jensen grinned, reached for Jensen's hands with his and then lowered his head and this time sucked at the spot. He still took care not to harm Jared, but seeing his lover getting undone just by this was worth it. 

"Jensen," Jared moaned as his hips bucked up, nearly throwing Jensen off. He writhed under Jensen's hands as the pleasure inside of him slowly continued to build in a lovely crescendo of sounds of bliss filled the room. "Please," he begged as Jensen's hand reached for his shaft and enclosed around it, pumping him slowly in tandem with the sucking on his scar. Too soon his spine tingled and his balls drew up into his body. He gasped for air as his seed spilled over Jensen's hands, slicking his cock and Jensen's hand even more. 

Jared spread his legs as Jensen continued to milk his cock, not giving his body a chance to recuperate, but making him go from hard to sensitive to hard again. His body shuddered as Jensen finally stopped licking at the mark and brought his sticky hand up towards Jared's lips. 

"Clean me up," Jensen's voice was gruff and he had to reach with his left hand to stifle his own eruption as Jared took his fingers into his mouth and started to suck him clean. "Make sure they’re nice and wet, babe. Lube's too far away." 

"Fuck," Jared managed to moan around the digits in his mouth as he sucked harder, making the fingers slick with spit. He couldn't help but to whimper as Jensen withdrew his fingers and in a single motion turned them so that Jared was on his hands and knees. "Make it quick." He grabbed hold of the tangled up sheets as a hard swat on his left ass cheek got followed up by a sting as Jensen bit into the soft flesh. His cock jumped in anticipation for what was still to come. 

"I'm running the show," Jensen whispered against Jared's skin, but then pushed two of his fingers right into the puckered hole, nearly creaming himself as the muscle contracted around him, trapping his fingers hard. "So fucking tight. Can't believe I was in here just this morning, Jay. Always so tight for me." He slowly moved his fingers forward, feeling Jared relaxing around him, making it easier to push his fingers forward before pulling them back again. 

Jared tried to tilt his hips to get more of Jensen's fingers inside of him, but his boyfriend knew him to well and made his movements shorter, just stabbing at Jared's hole behind the first ring. "Fuck, you're killing me." He stopped his movements and shuddered as Jensen's fingers went in deep. He yelled as they finally brushed over his prostate and he whimpered as they continued their onslaught, making his pleasure building up again and again.

"Still going to make you come for me just like this, Jay." Jensen whispered in his ear as he pulled Jared's body closer to his own. Jared was kneeling on his lower legs, his puckered hole right in front of Jensen's burning cock. 

"Not now, please not now. Need you in me, please, fill me up, fuck me, please." The words tumbled from his lips as he tried to move back onto Jensen's cock. He could feel the heat coming from Jensen's shaft. He couldn't wait to feel it pushed inside of him, filling him to the brim, making him begging for more and more. 

Jensen removed his fingers from Jared's hole, took hold of his throbbing cock and guided it towards that tine place. He swiped the head over the area a few times, loving the way the muscle quivered beneath the touch. He placed a hand on Jared's nape and pushed his head down onto the bed while it made Jared's ass rise in the air. He pushed forward, looking on as his cock disappeared into that tight space. He didn't use rocking motions, or slow down; instead he pressed forward, making Jared take his cock, forcing the channel to open around his girth as he slowly sunk into Jared until his balls rested firmly against Jared's cheeks. 

Keeping Jared's upper body pressed against the mattress he started thrusting deep. He knew the position was not good for Jared's healing chest, but both men loved it when Jensen took Jared like this and he knew Jared would speak up when it became too much.

Jared's mind ceased to work as Jensen pounded into him. He could feel Jensen's balls slap against the underside of his ass, as his cock pistoned with sure hard strokes, forcing him to take it, to feel the love poured from Jensen into him. He shivered and he fisted the sheets as Jensen rose to his knees and started assaulting his prostate. Already the slivers of white that promised to overtake his vision turned into thicker strands. As the pleasure increased the pain in his chest made itself known, but even before he could tell Jensen to ease up, his lover had reached for him and now he found himself seated almost on Jensen's lap, the bottom man now pushing up into him, filling him even deeper than before. Jensen's hands were on his hips, holding him into place as he pushed upwards and at the same time pulling Jared down.

"Touch yourself, play for me, I want to see." Jensen's words filled the room as Jared managed to take hold of his cock and wrapped his hand around it. He hoped Jensen wouldn't want a long show, but still he knew he would last until Jensen was ready to let go and not a moment before. He fisted his shaft, letting it ride through his fist, his thumb gliding over the head, smearing the pre come down the sides as he found the rhythm Jensen was setting inside of him.

"So beautiful, Jay." Jensen's voice rasped against his neck and Jared gasped as Jensen's teeth found the hot spot in the junction between his collarbone and neck. He arched backwards as Jensen turned from sucking to biting, knowing the bruise would be there for at least a week.

"Soon," Jensen breathed against Jared's skin as he removed his one hand from Jared's hip and joined Jared's hand around his cock. He targeted the thick vein underneath the head and pressed at it hard, before using his nail and playing with the tiny slit at the top of the bulge.

"Can't no more," Jared hissed, "please, please." He begged again and again.

Seeing Jared before him becoming undone, knowing that they would share the realms of pleasure together he let go of the hold he had over his own passion and as his balls finally quivered with release he tugged hard on Jared's shaft and as Jared's cum decorated their hands, Jared's chest and even the sheets in front of them, he emptied his seed deep within Jared, feeling the heat around them as he continued to thrust on. Finally his movements slowed down, and he turned them around so that he stayed deep within Jared but they could lie next to one another. No words were spoken for a while.

"Do you think they will they find out who you are?" Jensen finally asked as their breathing evened out and he pulled Jared closer.

Jared shrugged and then sighed as he tried to move even closer. "They're supposed to. They will have more interactions with me through the year. We'll have to see if there's anyone bright enough to figure me out." 

Jensen smirked. "You should've seen their faces when Samantha asked if they knew who you were and then being told you're not from the behavioral unit nor are you a field agent." He laughed softly. "When Jim stood up and told them that you've never investigated or arrested a serial killer and that you have been investigated by the FBI they nearly went ballistic. I've never seen so many people talk at the same time."

"Did any of them object to the outcome?"

Jensen snorted. "Not when they heard that the one who manages to figure you out gets the position of their choice. They're going to love it."

"You're going to love it. I still can't believe that you decided to sign up for the course." Jared moved so that his head rested on Jensen's shoulder. "Just remember you won't get any special treatment because you're sleeping with the teacher."

"Then I don't think this relationship will work." Jensen pretended to move away from Jared, but then Jared's channel tightened around him and he stilled his movements. "Maybe I'll stay just for the sex." 

It was Jared's turn to laugh as he turned their bodies so that Jensen was lying on top of him again. "Fuck me, please." 

"You don't have to ask." Jensen's cock had hardened again and he moved to his knees to get into a better position he looked at the tattoo that decorated Jared's chest. He reached out and traced the chameleon with his fingers before thrusting forward, eyes shining bright as Jared gasped out loud. "As long as you remember one thing, you're my chameleon, and only I get to know the true you." 

"I promise," Jared whispered and moaned as Jensen's cock brushed over his sweet spot and it became clear it was time for his lover to take him again. Their world was still trying to right itself, but being together again meant that things would get there rather sooner than later. 

[ ](http://imgur.com/VGyUQZi)

**THE END**


End file.
